Department for Transport

Official Cars: Production

Paula Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, where the Government's fleet vehicles are produced; and whether the production of those vehicles uses UK steel.

Chris Heaton-Harris: Information on all Government fleets is not held centrally and this response is for the Government Car Service fleet which operates as a division of the Department for Transport. The table indicates the material that the car bodies are manufactured from, also indicating if UK steel has been used. MakeModelCountry of BuildMaterial Used for Car BodyUK Steel Yes/NoNissanLEAFUK (Sunderland)SteelYesJaguarI-PACEAustria (Graz)AluminiumYes*JaguarF-PACEUK (Solihull)Aluminium & SteelYes*JaguarXFUK (Castle Bromwich)Aluminium & SteelYes*JaguarXJUK (Castle Bromwich)AluminiumYes*Land RoverRange RoverUK (Solihull)AluminiumYes*HondaCRVUK (Swindon)SteelYesFordMondeo HybridSpain (Valencia)SteelNoFordGalaxyPortugalSteelNo *Jaguar Land Rover: British steel is used in mixed material bodies, and in components on all car lines. 51% of the GCS car fleet were built in the UK.

Official Cars: Production

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, where the Government's fleet vehicles are produced; and whether they are made using UK steel.

Chris Heaton-Harris: Information on all Government fleets is not held centrally and this response is for the Government Car Service fleet which operates as a division of the Department for Transport. The attached table indicates the material that the car bodies are manufactured from, also indicating if UK steel has been used.  



Table of Government fleet vehicles - UK steel
(Word Document, 20.54 KB)

Boats: Coronavirus

Kate Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with representatives of the river cruise sector on resumption of their operations as covid-19 restrictions are eased.

Kelly Tolhurst: My officials and I have been engaging regularly with the cruise industry on restart plans through Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA). FCO currently advise against travelling on sea-going cruises only. River cruises are not included within the travel advice for cruise, however, CLIA continues to engage across industry on the safe resumption of operations. River cruise operators should ensure the relevant risk assessments have been undertaken and that their operations comply with relevant Covid-19 requirements. We are keen to support the safe resumption of cruise operations, and will continue to work with CLIA, Public Health England, and the FCO to ensure plans are in place to support this.

Roads: Cycling and Pedestrians

Geraint Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many local authorities have made changes to road layouts to give more space to cyclists and pedestrians since the publication of the Department for Transport’s statutory guidance to local authorities under the Traffic Management Act 2004.

Rachel Maclean: It is for local traffic authorities to decide what measures to install to enable social distancing and active travel, and the Department does not maintain a record of local authorities that have implemented such changes. There are measures available to local authorities that can be implemented to widen pavements and that do not require extra powers or approval from the Department. For example, some authorities have used cones or barriers to reallocate part of the road to pedestrians as a temporary measure.

Electric Vehicles: Charging Points

Geraint Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many of the 7,200 additional on-street electric vehicle charge points announced on 9 May 2020 have been installed.

Rachel Maclean: In January the Government announced a doubling of the value of the On-street Residential Charing Scheme (ORCS) from £5 to £10 million, providing grant funding for as many as 3,600 chargepoints for motorists who do not have access to off-street parking. To ensure more Local Authorities and motorists can benefit from the scheme the Government again doubled the funding available for ORCS in May up to £20 million to assist with the cost of up to 7,200 more chargepoints. To date, the scheme has supported the installation of 555 chargepoints and provided funding for a further 1603 to be installed. Covid-19 has significantly slowed down installation rates and we would expect this number to increase as more Local Authorities are able to procure and install chargepoints as the Covid-19 Lockdown eases.

Garages and Petrol Stations

Geraint Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many individual (a) petrol pumps, (b) diesel pumps and (c) electric vehicle charge points there in each local authority in England.

Rachel Maclean: Data on the number of individual petrol and diesel pumps in England is not available. The number of electric vehicle charging devices publicly available in England at 1 April 2020 was 14,979. The numbers for each local authority are provided in the attached document in an annex to this answer. 



No of electric vehicle charging points in each LA
(Excel SpreadSheet, 29.17 KB)

Railway Stations: Business Premises

Rehman Chishti: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has plans to permit train operating companies to offer temporary rent reductions to concessions in railway stations in response to the covid-19 outbreak.

Chris Heaton-Harris: In accordance with Franchise Agreements, as varied by the Emergency Measures Agreements, Franchisees have responsibility to act at all times as Good and Efficient Operators. The Department has written to all train operating companies outlining that it is incumbent on them, as responsible commercial landlords, to actively consider any requests made for rent deferral or relief in accordance with the Good and Efficient Operator principle. We expect requests from tenants to be considered on a case-by-case basis taking into account whether the tenant has made all reasonable efforts to seek assistance from wider government support schemes before any rent relief is agreed. Any rent relief arrangements should also be developed in line with the recently published Code of Practice for commercial property relationships during the Covid-19 pandemic which provides guidance as to how landlords should be considering requests from commercial tenants during the current period.

Railway Stations: Business Premises

Rehman Chishti: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to ensure concessions in railway stations operated by train operating companies are eligible for the same rent holidays and other forms of financial assistance available to concessions in stations operated by Network Rail.

Chris Heaton-Harris: In accordance with Franchise Agreements, as varied by the Emergency Measures Agreements, Franchisees have responsibility to act at all times as Good and Efficient Operators. The Department has written to all train operating companies outlining that it is incumbent on them, as responsible commercial landlords, to actively consider any requests made for rent deferral or relief in accordance with the Good and Efficient Operator principle. We expect requests from tenants to be considered on a case-by-case basis taking into account whether the tenant has made all reasonable efforts to seek assistance from wider government support schemes before any rent relief is agreed. Any rent relief arrangements should also be developed in line with the recently published Code of Practice for commercial property relationships during the Covid-19 pandemic which provides guidance as to how landlords should be considering requests from commercial tenants during the current period.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Chris Clarkson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to ensure the environmental sustainability of all aspects of the High Speed Two project.

Andrew Stephenson: Environmental sustainability is embodied in HS2’s strategic goals. All phases of the railway have environmental minimum requirements (EMRs) which set out the government’s high level environmental and sustainability commitments across all aspects of the project. HS2 is critical for the UK’s low carbon transport future; providing a low carbon alternative to road and air travel. HS2 will run highly energy efficient electric trains powered by a grid increasingly using zero carbon sources. As the grid moves to supplying 100% zero carbon energy, journeys on HS2 will also move to zero carbon.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Chris Clarkson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what proportion of High Speed Two construction waste he plans divert from landfill.

Andrew Stephenson: The impacts and effects arising from managing the material from HS2 were set out in the Environmental Statements for Phase 1 (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hs2-phase-one-environmental-statement-documents ) and Phase 2a ( https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hs2-phase-2a-environmental-statement ). These were based on a forecast landfill diversion rate of 90% for construction and demolition material. This forecast rate was based on a review of industry good practice landfill diversion rates achieved on other large-scale infrastructure projects in the UK. HS2 Ltd has set a performance target of 95% diversion from landfill for construction and demolition material in all of its relevant contracts with suppliers.

High Speed 2 Railway Line: Archaeology

Chris Clarkson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to ensure the (a) recording and (b) preservation of archaeological finds during the construction of High Speed Two.

Andrew Stephenson: During route development, design of the scheme and early construction, HS2 Ltd has sought to avoid and reduce impacts on heritage assets, including archaeological remains. HS2’s historic environment programme employs a wide range of specialists to undertake the historic environment works required. This includes historic environment evaluation, recording and investigation, post-excavation assessment, analysis, archiving and dissemination of the results. Many exciting discoveries have already been made during excavation works on Phase One and these have been shared with communities close to the line and further afield. The creation of HS2’s historic environment physical and digital archive is an integral part of the lasting legacy of the programme. HS2 Ltd and its supply chain continue to host webinars, provide lectures, and work with communities and academics, in order to deepen our understanding of the history of England.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Chris Clarkson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to ensure the maximum use of rail freight for moving materials during the construction of High Speed Two.

Andrew Stephenson: HS2 Ltd’s Environmental Statement and Code of Construction practice states that as the ‘Nominated Undertaker’ HS2 Ltd should plan to move as much material as is reasonably practicable by Rail (or Water) before Road.Joint industry resources (including Network Rail, the Freight Industry, and HS2 Ltd) have collaborated to develop the Materials By Rail strategy and secure every available opportunity to maximise Materials By Rail volumes and accelerate the materials delivery and removals programme.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Chris Clarkson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to increase the use of low emission (a) vehicles and (b) machinery during the construction of High Speed Two.

Andrew Stephenson: HS2 Ltd have set a range of engine emission requirements and targets for all construct vehicles and non-road mobile machinery (NRMM) and these can be found in the HS2 Information Paper E31; Air Quality https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/672406/E31_-_Air_Quality_v1.5.pdf The requirements form part of the HS2 Environmental Minimum Requirements under the Act, and ensure all heavy goods vehicles meet the Euro VI engine emission standard, and all cars and vans meet the Euro 6 diesel / Euro 4 petrol engine emission standards. It also includes ambitious targets for cleaner than Euro VI HGVs and the introduction of Ultra-Low Emission Vehicles, along with carbon dioxide fleet average emissions. HS2 and its suppliers currently have a large range of low emission NRMM on HS2 sites including electric, hybrid, hydrogen and solar. HS2 Ltd are the first organisation to require NRMM emission standards outside of London. Within London NRMM emission standards surpass the existing Greater London Authority standards. As these standards are Environmental Minimum Requirements, HS2 contractors are encouraged to exceed them. HS2 Ltd report compliance to these standards regularly to Local Authorities and publish annual summaries in the HS2 Annual Air Quality Report which is published at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/monitoring-the-environmental-effects-of-hs2

Aviation: Coronavirus

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the Government is negotiating with Bulgaria to establish an air bridge to allow covid-19 quarantine free travel between Bulgaria and the UK.

Kelly Tolhurst: The Government has regular discussions with countries on a range of issues. Our approach to travel corridors has been guided by the science and we have worked closely with health and policy experts from across government to ensure the steps we are taking will minimise the risk of importing COVID-19 cases, while helping to open our travel and tourism sector. Although Bulgaria was not included in the travel corridors announced on 3 July, the Health Regulations relating to the self-isolation requirements remain under constant review. The next formal review will be on 27 July 2020.

Bicycles: Repairs and Maintenance

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many bicycles have been repaired under the Government’s Voucher Repair Scheme to date.

Chris Heaton-Harris: None. The Government’s Fix Your Bike Voucher Repair Scheme will be launched shortly. Due to the recent surge in cycling interest there is a lack of capacity to carry out additional repairs and we are ready to make vouchers available to the public when we are confident people will be able to get their bikes fixed without significant waiting times.

Travel: Coronavirus

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans his Department has to include Madeira on the list of countries and territories with no self-isolation on arrival in England during the covid-19 pandemic.

Kelly Tolhurst: Our approach to travel corridors has been guided by the science and we have worked closely with health and policy experts from across government to ensure the steps we are taking will minimise the risk of importing COVID-19 cases, while helping to open our travel and tourism sector. The Joint Biosecurity Centre, in close consultation with Public Health England (PHE) and the Chief Medical Officer, has developed an approach to assessing the public health risk associated with inbound travel from specific countries and territories. The resulting categorisation methodology has been informed by a number of factors including an estimate of the proportion of the population that is currently infectious in each country, trends in virus incidences and deaths, transmission status and international epidemic intelligence. We have also considered issues such as the testing capacity of each country and the quality of the data available. Although Madeira was not included in the travel corridors announced on 3 July, the Health Regulations relating to the self-isolation requirements remain under constant review. The next formal review will be on 27 July 2020.

Net Zero Transport Board

Lloyd Russell-Moyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he would publish the (a) names and (b) organisations of the members of his Department’s Net Zero Transport Board.

Rachel Maclean: The Net Zero Transport Board comprises a wide variety of stakeholders including transport experts, behavioural insight specialists, technology, academia and environmental NGOs. Details of the membership, alongside minutes of the first meeting, which focused on a green recovery from coronavirus, will be published shortly.

Net Zero Transport Board

Lloyd Russell-Moyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will publish the (a) terms of reference, (b) minutes of its first meeting and (c) dates of future meetings of his Department’s Net Zero Transport Board.

Rachel Maclean: The Net Zero Transport Board is an external advisory board, brought together to advise on the Government’s approach to transport decarbonisation. The minutes of its first meeting on a green recovery from coronavirus, alongside the terms of reference and details of the membership, will be published online shortly. Dates of future meetings will not be published in advance, but minutes of each meeting will be published on a recurring basis.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Iron and Steel: Manufacturing Industries

Paula Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that UK steel is promoted in the Government’s post-covid-19 rebuild and recovery strategy.

Nadhim Zahawi: In his speech of 30 June, my Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister made clear that as we recover from COVID-19, we must build back better, greener and faster, ensuring that our economy will be cleaner, more sustainable, and more resilient. This applies to all sectors of the economy, including those which are currently seen as difficult to decarbonise, such as steel.The Government is supporting the steel sector throughout this difficult period, as well as providing the £250 million Clean Steel Fund, which will help UK steel producers to reduce emissions in line with our target to reach net zero emissions by 2050. This is complemented by the £315 million Industrial Energy Transformation Fund to help energy intensive industries, such as steel, transition away from carbon-intensive energy sources.The Department publishes a pipeline, identifying future steel requirements for all public infrastructure and construction projects annually. An update of this pipeline will be published shortly. We have also introduced steel-specific procurement guidance that requires Government Departments and public bodies to consider social and environmental factors when procuring steel.

Hartley Anderson: Finance

Geraint Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how much funding his Department (a) has supplied to the Hartley Anderson Group in the last year and (b) will supply to that group in the coming year for the investigation of deflagration as a method of unexploded ordnance disposal.

Kwasi Kwarteng: The Department’s contractor for provision of project management for the maintenance of Strategic Environmental Assessments, Hartley Anderson Ltd, commissioned the National Physical Laboratory for this project. Funding for financial year 2019-2020 totalled £221,000 (excl. VAT), which includes third party costs for munition manufacture and experimental site hire. The funding allocated to this project to date in financial year 2020-2021 is £7,500 (excl. VAT).

Hinkley Point C Power Station

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the Internal Review prepared for the EDF Board in 2015 conducted by Yannick d’Escatha on the economic viability of the European Pressurised Reactor being built at Hinkley; and when he first became aware of that report.

Nadhim Zahawi: The Internal Review was a matter for EDF and was widely known about at the time; for example, it was referred to in a press release issued by EDF on 12 March 2016.The Government conducted due diligence on the project before entering into the contractual agreements. EDF, as the lead investor in Hinkley Point C, is responsible for the project’s funding and construction schedule. Any additional costs incurred are the responsibility of EDF, and its fellow shareholders in the project, and will not fall on taxpayers or consumers.

Hinkley Point C Power Station

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the recently released report on European Pressurised Reactors (EPRs) by the French Court of Audit (Cours des Comptes); what assessment he has made of the implications for the financial underwriting provided by the Government to EDF for the Hinkley C EPR project of the Court of Audit finding that the project represents a high financial risk; and what discussions he has held with EDF officials on the future costing of the Hinkley C project.

Nadhim Zahawi: The Government is aware of the report on European Pressurised Reactors, which was published on the Cour des Comptes webpage on 9 July 2020. EDF, as the lead investor in Hinkley Point C, is responsible for the project’s funding and construction schedule. Any additional costs incurred are the responsibility of EDF and its fellow shareholders in the project, and will not fall on taxpayers or consumers.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Cybercrime and Digital Technology

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how much funding his Department has allocated to (a) digital skills and (b) cyber skills; and to whom that funding has been allocated.

Amanda Solloway: The Department for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy does not provide direct funding for digital or cyber skills in the UK: the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) lead on this policy area. I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given to her by my Hon. Friend the Minister of State for Digital and Culture on 17th July 2020 to Question 72907.

Iron and Steel: Coronavirus

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will take steps to ensure that UK steel is at the heart of the Government’s post-covid-19 outbreak rebuild and recovery strategy.

Nadhim Zahawi: In his speech of 30 June, my Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister made clear that as we recover from COVID-19, we must build back better, greener, and faster, ensuring that our economy is cleaner, more sustainable, and more resilient. This applies to all sectors of the economy, including those which are currently seen as difficult to decarbonise, such as steel. The Government is supporting the steel sector throughout this difficult period, as well as providing the £250 million Clean Steel Fund, which will help UK steel producers to reduce emissions in line with our target to reach net zero emissions by 2050. This is complemented by the £315 million Industrial Energy Transformation fund to help energy intensive industries, such as steel, transition away from carbon-intensive energy sources. The Department publishes a pipeline, identifying future steel requirements for all public infrastructure and construction projects annually. An update of this pipeline will be published shortly. We have also introduced steel-specific procurement guidance that requires Government Departments and public bodies to consider social and environmental factors when procuring steel.

Green Homes Grant Scheme

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether the vouchers for green home improvements announced on 7 July 2020 can be backdated to avoid customers cancelling planned work between now and the introduction of the vouchers in September 2020.

Kwasi Kwarteng: In his Summer Economic Update, my Rt. Hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer announced a £2bn Green Home Grant scheme that will support homeowners and landlords in England to improve the energy efficiency of their properties, reducing energy bills and carbon emissions, and supporting a green economic recovery.The funding will be spent on paying for accredited tradespeople to install a range of measures, for example insulation, to improve the energy performance of their homes.Further detail on eligibility will be announced in due course, before the full launch.

Ofgem: Carbon Emissions

Giles Watling: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the compliance of Ofgem's RIIO-2 Draft Determinations for Transmission, Gas Distribution and Electricity System Operator with the UK's net zero target.

Giles Watling: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the publication of the RIIO-2 Draft Determinations for Transmission, Gas Distribution and Electricity System, whether he plans to align Ofgem’s remit to net zero.

Giles Watling: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will take steps to ensure that Ofgem policies support an investment-led green economic recovery.

Kwasi Kwarteng: Ofgem, as the independent expert regulator, has an important role in the transition to net zero. Its principle duty is to protect the interests of existing and future consumers, and this includes consumers’ interests in the reduction of targeted greenhouse gas emissions from electricity and gas supply. Ofgem also has a duty to have regard to the effect on the environment of activities connected with the generation, transmission, distribution and supply of electricity and gas. These duties are set out in Part 1 of the Gas Act 1986 and Electricity Act 1989. Network regulation is a matter for Ofgem – by law Government has no role. In its RIIO-2 Draft Determinations Ofgem has announced £3bn of upfront funding to connect green electricity sources and transmission grid upgrades. In addition, Ofgem is introducing mechanisms to inject £10bn or more of additional funding that companies can access over the price control to drive decarbonisation and infrastructure upgrades as required, and help to drive green and resilient economic recovery. In its Decarbonisation Action Plan (link to Plan here), Ofgem stated that it would be ‘reviewing the way our energy systems are managed to ensure they are fit for a net-zero future’.

Green Homes Grant Scheme

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he plans to enable landlords to claim vouchers under his newly announced Green Homes Grant scheme; and who will be eligible to apply for funding under that scheme.

Kwasi Kwarteng: In his Summer Economic Update, my Rt. Hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer announced a £2bn Green Home Grant scheme that will support homeowners and landlords in England to improve the energy efficiency of their properties, reducing energy bills and carbon emissions, and supporting a green economic recovery.The funding will be spent on paying for accredited tradespeople to install a range of measures, for example insulation, to improve the energy performance of their homes. Further detail on the scheme will be announced in due course before the full launch.

Green Homes Grant Scheme

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the oral statement by the Chancellor of the Exchequer entitled Summer Economic Update, Official Report, column 973, whether private rented sector tenants may apply for the green homes grant qualify for the full £10,000 if they are on a low income.

Kwasi Kwarteng: In his Summer Economic Update, my Rt. Hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer announced a £2bn Green Home Grant scheme that will support homeowners and landlords in England to improve the energy efficiency of their properties, reducing energy bills and carbon emissions, and supporting a green economic recovery.The funding will be spent on paying for accredited tradespeople to install a range of measures, for example insulation, to improve the energy performance of their homes.Further detail on eligibility will be announced in due course, before the full launch of the scheme. Low income households will receive a higher rate of subsidy of up to 100% of the cost of measures.

Green Homes Grant Scheme

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the oral statement by the Chancellor of the Exchequer entitled Summer Economic Update, Official Report, column 973, whether tenants can insist that their landlord applies for a green homes grant.

Kwasi Kwarteng: In his Summer Economic Update, my Rt. Hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer announced a £2bn Green Home Grant scheme that will support homeowners and landlords in England to improve the energy efficiency of their properties, reducing energy bills and carbon emissions, and supporting a green economic recovery.The funding will be spent on paying for accredited tradespeople to install a range of measures, for example insulation, to improve the energy performance of their homes.Further detail on eligibility will be announced in due course, before the full launch of the scheme.

Green Homes Grant Scheme

Rebecca Long Bailey: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to ensure that the energy efficiency voucher scheme directly assists people affected by fuel poverty.

Kwasi Kwarteng: In his Summer Economic Update, my Rt. Hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer announced a £2bn Green Home Grant scheme that will support homeowners and landlords in England to improve the energy efficiency of their properties, reducing energy bills and carbon emissions, and supporting a green economic recovery.The funding will be spent on paying for accredited tradespeople to install a range of measures, for example insulation, to improve the energy performance of their homes. Further detail on the scheme will be announced in due course, before the full launch of the scheme.

Green Homes Grant Scheme: Salford

Rebecca Long Bailey: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what plans he has in place to enable (a) private renters, (b) leaseholders and (c) people engaged in part ownership schemes in Salford to access the energy efficiency voucher scheme; and what income threshold he plans to put in place for each category to qualify for the maximum grant.

Kwasi Kwarteng: In his Summer Economic Update, my Rt. Hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer announced a £2bn Green Home Grant scheme that will support homeowners and landlords in England to improve the energy efficiency of their properties, reducing energy bills and carbon emissions, and supporting a green economic recovery.The funding will be spent on paying for accredited tradespeople to install a range of measures, for example insulation, to improve the energy performance of their homes.Further detail on eligibility will be announced in due course, before the full launch.

Green Homes Grant Scheme: Salford

Rebecca Long Bailey: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what plans he has in place to enable social housing renters in Salford to access the energy efficiency voucher scheme; and at what income threshold those renters will qualify for the maximum grant.

Kwasi Kwarteng: In his Summer Economic Update, my Rt. Hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer announced a £2bn Green Home Grant scheme that will support homeowners and landlords in England to improve the energy efficiency of their properties, reducing energy bills and carbon emissions, and supporting a green economic recovery. Low income households will receive a higher rate of subsidy of up to 100% of the cost of measures.The funding will be spent on paying for accredited tradespeople to install a range of measures, for example insulation, to improve the energy performance of their homes.Further detail on eligibility will be announced in due course, before the full launch of the scheme.

Green Homes Grant Scheme

Rebecca Long Bailey: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether (a) housing associations and (b) local authorities will be able to access the Government's efficiency voucher scheme to upgrade properties on behalf of their tenants.

Kwasi Kwarteng: In his Summer Economic Update, my Rt. Hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer announced a £2bn Green Home Grant scheme that will support homeowners and landlords in England to improve the energy efficiency of their properties, reducing energy bills and carbon emissions, and supporting a green economic recovery.The funding will be spent on paying for accredited tradespeople to install a range of measures, for example insulation, to improve the energy performance of their homes. Low income households will receive a higher rate of subsidy of up to 100% of the cost of measures.Further detail on eligibility will be announced in due course, before the full launch of the scheme.

Green Homes Grant Scheme: Insulation

Rebecca Long Bailey: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether housing associations that manage properties subject to overarching PFI arrangements and were previously excluded from Government funding schemes to remove and replace flammable ACM cladding, will be entitled to access the Government's energy efficiency voucher scheme to upgrade those properties.

Kwasi Kwarteng: In his Summer Economic Update, my Rt. Hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer announced a £2bn Green Home Grant scheme that will support homeowners and landlords in England to improve the energy efficiency of their properties, reducing energy bills and carbon emissions, and supporting a green economic recovery.The funding will be spent on paying for accredited tradespeople to install a range of measures, for example insulation, to improve the energy performance of their homes. Low income households will receive a higher rate of subsidy of up to 100% of the cost of measures.Further detail on eligibility will be announced in due course, before the full launch.

Green Homes Grant Scheme

Rebecca Long Bailey: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether (a) private and (b) social sector tenants will be able to require their landlord to access the Government's energy efficiency voucher scheme to upgrade their property.

Kwasi Kwarteng: In his Summer Economic Update, my Rt. Hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer announced a £2bn Green Home Grant scheme that will support homeowners and landlords in England to improve the energy efficiency of their properties, reducing energy bills and carbon emissions, and supporting a green economic recovery.The funding will be spent on paying for accredited tradespeople to install a range of measures, for example insulation, to improve the energy performance of their homes. Low income households will receive a higher rate of subsidy of up to 100% of the cost of measures.Further detail on eligibility will be announced in due course, before the full launch.

Green Homes Grant Scheme

Rebecca Long Bailey: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether a landlord that receives funding from the Government's energy efficiency voucher scheme is prevented from raising the level of (a) energy bills, (b) rent and (c) service charges applied to tenants as a result of work financed by that voucher scheme.

Kwasi Kwarteng: In his Summer Economic Update, my Rt. Hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer announced a £2bn Green Home Grant scheme that will support homeowners and landlords in England to improve the energy efficiency of their properties, reducing energy bills and carbon emissions, and supporting a green economic recovery.The funding will be spent on paying for accredited tradespeople to install a range of measures, for example insulation, to improve the energy performance of their homes. Low income households will receive a higher rate of subsidy of up to 100% of the cost of measures.Further detail on eligibility will be announced in due course, before the full launch.

Visual Impairment: Social Distancing

Mark Menzies: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what guidance he has issued to (a) businesses and (b) service providers on making social distancing measures accessible for blind and partially sighted people.

Paul Scully: The Government has published guidance on safer working for a range of working environments, available on GOV.UK. The guidance does not change employers’ obligations to make reasonable adjustments for those with disabilities. Our guidance also does not replace existing employment, health and safety or equalities legislation. It provides information to employers on how best to meet these responsibilities in the context of COVID-19. The safer workplaces guidance provides some suggestions to help employers make their workplaces COVID-19 secure for their employees, visitors and customers. We expect all businesses to approach reopening in a sensible way, taking account of the Government’s guidance and discussing with neighbouring businesses and their local authorities where applicable.

Protective Clothing: Retail Trade

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of issuing guidance to high street shops and supermarkets on the price of (a) 3-ply face masks and (b) other personal protective equipment.

Paul Scully: The Government is clear that it is absolutely unacceptable to exploit the Covid-19 pandemic for financial gain. The vast majority of businesses have acted responsibly during the national effort to tackle Covid-19. Reports of profiteering on key products such as masks, other PPE and hand sanitizer have fallen significantly as supply chains return to normal, with suppliers scaling up production and sourcing alternative supplies. BEIS Ministers have met with suppliers, retailers and consumer representatives, and continue to monitor these reports to assess any further steps necessary.

Carbon Emissions

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that funding allocated to the economic recovery supports meeting the target of net zero emissions by 2050.

Kwasi Kwarteng: My Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister has made clear our intention to build back greener. We are taking action in every sector of the economy: we announced over £3 billion for decarbonising the UK’s buildings and delivering green jobs; £1 billion for charging infrastructure and extending Plug in-Grants to 2023 for ultra-low emission vehicles; £800 million to capture carbon from power stations and industry; £640 million Nature for Climate Fund; and £100 million R&D into Direct Air Capture.In March, we published the first phase of our transport decarbonisation plan and will be setting our further plans on energy, heat and buildings and the natural environment later this year and early next year, in the run up to COP26.We will continue to build on these steps and deliver a stronger, greener, more sustainable economy after this pandemic.

Hospitality Industry: Coronavirus

Anne McLaughlin: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to assist food and drink wholesalers who had their trade credit limits (a) reduced or (b) withdrawn by insurers in advance of the full re-opening of the hospitality sector.

Paul Scully: The Government’s Trade Credit Reinsurance Scheme will see the majority of Trade Credit Insurance coverage maintained for businesses across the UK. The Scheme operates as a reinsurance arrangement which will see trade credit insurers continuing to write and maintain cover to business throughout the Covid-19 crisis. We expect to finalise details of the scheme with both insurers and the European Commission soon. Contractual agreements with insurers will be signed shortly afterwards allowing cover that has previously been reduced or withdrawn to be reinstated. If a business feels that their coverage has been withdrawn unfairly they should contact either their previous insurer about reinstating cover, or look to arrange new cover under the same conditions as their previous coverage.

Hospitality Industry: Coronavirus

Anne McLaughlin: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the potential effect on the hospitality sector of many of their suppliers going out of business; and what further support is available to prevent this.

Paul Scully: We have been in regular contact with representatives from the hospitality sector, including suppliers, to ensure that we support them during and after the Covid-19 crisis. A number of measures are available to support suppliers to the hospitality industry, such as access to the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and government backed loans. Suppliers to badly hit sectors such as hospitality may also be able to access the Discretionary Grant Fund which provides business support grants to businesses affected by the Covid-19 crisis at the discretion of Local Authorities.The Government is providing additional measures to support the hospitality sector itself, including a VAT reduction to 5% and the Eat Out to Help Out Scheme.

Personal Care Services: Coronavirus

Sir Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when he plans to review his decision on reopening beauty salons to ensure that facial services for women are provided on an equal footing to grooming services for men.

Paul Scully: As set out in my Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister’s announcement on 17 July, close contact services including treatments to the face are allowed to resume as of 1 August, as long as they operate in a COVID-secure way.

Electric Vehicles: Charging Points

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the role of energy flexibility in managing local network constraints resulting from increased electric vehicle charging.

Kwasi Kwarteng: The Government is working on a range of measures to realise the benefits of a smarter and more flexible energy system. We are making good progress delivering the actions in the Government’s Smart Systems and Flexibility Plan to remove barriers to smart technologies such as storage and improve access to energy markets for new business models. Smart charging of electric vehicles during off-peak periods when electricity demand is low can help avoid triggering unnecessary network reinforcement. Furthermore, this technology helps utilise renewable energy and can benefit consumers with cheaper electricity. The Future Energy Scenarios (FES) 2019 produced by National Grid predicts that smart charging could by 2030 shift nearly 50% of EV demand away from peak times. Vehicle-to-Grid technology, where electric vehicles provide power back to local networks, presents an opportunity for EVs to be a significant electricity storage resource. Next year we intend to mandate that all new private chargepoints must have smart functionality and in 2018 we invested £30 million to support vehicle-to-grid technology. The Electric Vehicle Energy Taskforce reported in January 2020, making 21 proposals on how we can maximise the uptake of smart charging and ensure the energy system is ready for electric vehicles.

Carbon Emissions

Dr Alan Whitehead: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether the Energy White Paper will include an assessment of the role of flexibility in meeting net zero climate targets.

Kwasi Kwarteng: My Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has set out his intention to publish the Energy White Paper this Autumn. The Energy White Paper will address the transformation of our energy system as we deliver net-zero emissions by 2050, including the importance of flexibility. We have taken clear actions to enable flexibility through our Smart Systems and Flexibility Plan, including reforming markets so that they properly reward flexibility, removing barriers for flexible technologies, and investing in flexible innovation.

Electric Vehicles: Charging Points

Dr Alan Whitehead: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the role of energy flexibility in managing local constraints resulting from increased electric vehicle charging.

Kwasi Kwarteng: The Government is working on a range of measures to realise the benefits of a smarter and more flexible energy system. We are delivering the actions in the Government’s Smart Systems and Flexibility Plan to remove barriers to smart technologies such as storage and improve access to energy markets for new business models. Smart charging of electric vehicles during off-peak periods when electricity demand is low can help avoid triggering unnecessary network reinforcement. Furthermore, this technology helps utilise renewable energy and can benefit consumers with cheaper electricity. The Future Energy Scenarios (FES) 2019 produced by National Grid predicts that smart charging could by 2030 shift nearly 50% of EV demand away from peak times. Vehicle-to-Grid technology, where electric vehicles provide power back to local networks, presents an opportunity for EVs to be a significant electricity storage resource. Next year we intend to mandate that all new private chargepoints must have smart functionality and in 2018 we invested £30 million to support vehicle-to-grid technology. The Electric Vehicle Energy Taskforce reported in January 2020, making 21 proposals on how we can maximise the uptake of smart charging and ensure the energy system is ready for electric vehicles.

Redundancy Pay: Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether employers should calculate (a) redundancy and (b) notice pay based on (i) employees' salary; and what the relevance of payments through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme is to those calculations.

Paul Scully: During this difficult period, we urge employers to exercise discretion and not use the Job Retention Scheme to make someone redundant on less favourable terms than they would otherwise have received. The provisions relating to calculation of redundancy and notice pay under the Employment Rights Act continue to apply when an individual is on the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme. Employees who are dismissed due to redundancy and who satisfy certain qualifying conditions are statutorily entitled to a lump sum from their employer, based on their age, length of service and contractual weekly earnings, subject to a statutory upper limit, payable at, or soon after, the dismissal date. Employees are also eligible for notice pay if they have worked for at least one month for their employers. The entitlements include one week’s notice if employed between one month and 2 years and an additional week’s notice for each year employed more than 2 years, capped at 12 weeks.

Personal Care Services: Coronavirus

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when the Government plans to enable the beauty industry to resume facial treatments as covid-19 lockdown restrictions are eased.

Paul Scully: As set out in my Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister’s announcement on 17 July, close contact services including treatments to the face are allowed to resume as of 1 August, as long as they operate in a COVID-secure way.

Toys and Games: Safety

Neil Coyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to prevent unsafe toys being sold by third party sellers on online marketplaces.

Paul Scully: The UK has a strong product safety system which requires that products, including toys, should be safe before they can be placed on the market, including those sold online. The Office for Product Safety and Standards works proactively with major online platforms to ensure that they are playing their part in protecting UK consumers from unsafe goods.

Charities: Research

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to provide financial support to the charity-funded research sector during the covid-19 outbreak.

Amanda Solloway: On 27th June, we announced a major package of support for universities to help them continue research and innovation activities being impacted by Covid-19. This will aim to support the University research base as a whole. From the Autumn, Government will provide a package consisting of low-interest loans with long pay-back periods, supplemented by a small amount of government grants, to cover up to 80% of a university’s income losses from international students for the academic year 20/21, up to the value of their non-publicly funded research activity, including from charities. Universities will be asked to demonstrate how these funds are being utilised to sustain research in areas typically funded by charities and business, for example to protect areas of medical research that have been developed in part with support of charities. We continue to engage with the sector as the details of the package are developed. Charities will also benefit from the £750 million package announced in April to ensure Voluntary, Community and social Enterprises, including medical research charities, can continue their vital work supporting the country during the coronavirus outbreak. Charities also had access to the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, will pay no business rates for their shops next year and can get a Business Interruption Loan.

Life Sciences: Research

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has been made of the implications for his policies of the Association of Medical Research Charities’ proposal for a Life Sciences-Charity Partnership Fund.

Amanda Solloway: Ministers in BEIS and officials have met regularly with the Association of Medical Research Charities and their members over the last months and we are aware of their proposal for a Life Sciences-Charity Partnership. On 27th June, we announced a major package of support for universities to help them continue research and innovation activities being impacted by Covid-19. This will aim to address the broader set of issues facing the university research sector. From the Autumn, Government will provide a package consisting of low-interest loans with long pay-back periods, supplemented by a small amount of government grants, to cover up to 80% of a university’s income losses from international students for the academic year 20/21, up to the value of their non-publicly funded research activity, including from charities. Universities will be asked to demonstrate how these funds are being utilised to sustain research in areas typically funded by charities and business, for example to protect areas of medical research that have been developed in part with support of charities. We continue to engage with medical research charities as the details of the package are developed.

Personal Care Services: Coronavirus

James Wild: What steps his Department is taking to enable (a) beauty salons and (b) other businesses to conduct facial treatments in a covid-secure way.

Paul Scully: We have worked closely with the sector and public health experts to ensure we now have the confidence that these services can resume safely on 1 August and in line with COVID-secure guidelines.

Climate Change

Rob Roberts: What steps his Department is taking to tackle climate change.

Alok Sharma: The UK has demonstrated that clean, green growth is absolutely possible. Between 1990 and 2018 we grew our economy by 75 per cent, whilst cutting emissions by 43%. In his Summer Statement, my Rt hon Friend, Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer set out £3 billion pounds to improve the energy efficiency of homes and public buildings which will also support around 140,000 green jobs.

Sirius Minerals

Alex Cunningham: What discussions his Department held with the Tees Valley Mayor on Government support for Sirius Minerals before the sale of that company.

Nadhim Zahawi: My colleagues and I are in regular contact with the Tees Valley Mayor to discuss many issues, including Sirius Minerals. The Mayor is a passionate advocate for the area and we support him.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Nigeria: Violence

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for his polices of the statement by the EYN Church National President Reverend Joel Billi during a press conference in Yola, Adamawa State, Nigeria on 2 July, that over 700,000 of his church’s members have been displaced, eight pastors and over 8,370 lay people have been killed, and an unknown number have been abducted by terrorist factions of Boko Haram.

James Duddridge: We are aware of the statement made by the President of EYN Church, Reverend Joel Billi, on 2 July. The UK condemns the appalling actions of terrorist groups including Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa in North East Nigeria. Adamawa State is one of the three Nigerian states worst affected by the conflict. These terrorist groups attack Nigerians of all faiths who do not subscribe to their extremist views, causing immense suffering in both Christian and Muslim communities.The UK remains committed to helping Nigeria tackle the terrorist threat and supporting affected communities through a comprehensive package of security, stabilisation and humanitarian assistance. This includes up to £300 million of humanitarian assistance to affected communities between 2017-2022. We regularly raise the importance of protecting all Nigerians with the Government of Nigeria, and do so at the highest levels. In June, I discussed the conflict in North East Nigeria with the Nigerian President's Chief of Staff, Ibrahim Gambari.

Colombia: Coronavirus

Dame Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effect of the covid-19 pandemic on the implementation of the Peace Accord in Colombia; and if he will make a statement.

Wendy Morton: The COVID-19 pandemic has presented a serious challenge to all countries, and Latin America is facing one of the deadliest outbreaks. Inevitably this has added to the difficulties Colombia faces with the implementation of the Peace Accord, but all parties have taken effective steps to try to mitigate this impact, as the Special Representative, Carlos Ruiz Massieu, noted in his most recent report. At the UN Security Council on 14 July, our Permanent Representative commended the parties for having adapted quickly to the situation, and urged the Colombian government to continue to work with its domestic and international partners to provide assistance to former combatant communities so reintegration could remain on track despite an economic downturn.During this challenging time, the Colombian government has reaffirmed its commitment to implementing the 2016 peace agreement in full. The UK will continue to support the Colombian peace process and to emphasise the importance of pressing ahead with work to consolidate peace and build stability. We will continue to work closely with the Colombian Government and civil society on the peace process and related matters.

Turkey: Politics and Government

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure that the Turkish government upholds values of secularism, openness, and tolerance.

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking with his international counterparts to ensure that Turkey complies with its (a) obligations under the rules-based international order and (b) NATO commitments.

Wendy Morton: The Turkish constitution provides for freedom of conscience and religion, regardless of an individual's citizenship. We regularly discuss with Turkey issues concerning freedom of religion and belief and encourage Turkey to live up to its international obligations. We will continue to engage the Turkish Government at all levels on these issues and to urge respect for Freedom of Religion or Belief, and freedom of speech, which are essential to the long-term health of Turkish democracy. Promoting respect between individuals of different faiths and beliefs remains a long-standing priority for the UK Government; this work is led by the Prime Minister's Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief, Rehman Chishti MP. Turkey is a key NATO ally - one of the largest contributors of military personnel - and sits on the frontline of some of the most difficult and serious challenges we face. We will continue to work closely with Turkey at NATO on challenges to peace and security, including our response to COVID-19.

Istanbul: Religious Buildings

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent representation he has made to (a) his Turkish counterpart and (b) UNESCO on the importance of the Hagia Sophia to human civilisation and the need to ensure that the public retains access to the site because of its outstanding value to humankind.

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent representations he has made to (a) his Turkish counterpart and (b) UNESCO to emphasise the shared history of the Hagia Sophia and to urge the maintenance of that site as a museum reflecting shared heritage.

Wendy Morton: While we note the concern this action has caused internationally, the Government regards this as a sovereign matter for Turkey. We have therefore not discussed the matter with other countries or organisations. It is for States Parties to the World Heritage Convention to ensure that their designated World Heritage List sites comply with the terms of the Convention. We work closely with UNESCO, its advisory bodies and partner governments to promote the highest standards of heritage protection. This helps to ensure designated sites are protected effectively for the whole of humanity, and for future generations.

China: Human Rights

Neil Coyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he plans to make an assessment of the potential merits of including Chinese officials who have allegedly committed human rights abuses in the next round of Magnitsky sanctions designations.

Nigel Adams: It is not appropriate to speculate on who may be designated under the sanctions regime in the future. We do not want to reduce the impact of the designations. We will keep all evidence and potential listings under close review.

Human Rights: Sanctions

Neil Coyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when he plans to publish the process by which civil society organisations can share evidence of alleged human rights abuses with the Government for the purpose of the next round of Magnitsky sanctions designations.

Nigel Adams: We value the insights and information NGOs can provide in respect of the sanctions regime. We intend to set out a clear line of communication between NGOs (and other organisations) and the Government in order to ensure an effective approach to sanctions as a policy tool. We have already published an Information Note on gov.uk aimed at NGOs and civil society organisations, to support dialogue with Government, including on the sharing of information.

Ukraine: Radicalism

Debbie Abrahams: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the level of white-supremacist violent extremism in Ukraine.

Debbie Abrahams: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions his Department has had with the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on the activities of neo-Nazi groups in Ukraine.

Wendy Morton: Holding answer received on 20 July 2020



There are several peripheral groups with neo-Nazi sympathies in Ukraine, some of which have made statements in support of white supremacism. We take seriously any reports of violent extremism and hate crime in Ukraine.The UK is committed to pursuing a comprehensive human rights agenda in Ukraine, including taking action against racially-motivated hate crime. Since 2014, the UK has co-sponsored a UN resolution supporting quarterly debates of reports on Ukraine by the Monitoring Mission of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). The UK Government provides financial support to the Monitoring Mission, which works to report and reduce human rights violations and abuses in Ukraine.Whilst Ukraine has cooperated fully with the Monitoring Mission, we remain extremely concerned by the restrictions of access for human rights bodies to the non-government controlled areas of eastern Ukraine and illegally annexed Crimea, and the resulting limited reporting on those areas. It is essential that independent investigations take place to deliver accountability for serious allegations of hate crime in all of Ukraine. We will continue to work closely with the Ukrainian government, our international partners and local agencies to support efforts to report, investigate and reduce incidences of hate crime in Ukraine.

Eritrea: National Service

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the Government of Eritrea on abolishing indefinite servitude in the form of national service in line with the findings and recommendations of the UN’s Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Eritrea.

James Duddridge: The UK continues to call for reform of Eritrea's use of a system of indefinite national service. Whilst the Government of Eritrea has justified this service on grounds of the security threat posed by Ethiopia and has talked about the need for reform, we have yet to see any concrete proposal following the July 2018 peace agreement. At the 44th session of the Human Rights Council in July 2020, the UK renewed calls for Eritrea to reform the national service system. The Home Office International Director raised national service reform with Eritrean ministers during her visit in February 2020.

British Council: Educational Exchanges

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the role of the British Council in providing foreign exchange opportunities for UK students.

Nigel Adams: The British Council is the UK's international organisation for cultural and educational opportunities, and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office recognises the importance of its work in providing a variety of foreign exchange programmes for UK students to widen their career prospects. The Council delivers or part-funds eight schemes for UK students to study or work abroad. For example, over 2,000 students participate annually in the Language Assistants programme, which supports UK students and recent graduates in taking up a placement in a school to assist in English language teaching. Between now and 2025, the British Council is aiming to provide international mobility opportunities to over 125,000 UK students and researchers.

Hong Kong: British Citizenship

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what estimate he has made of the number of people from Hong Kong who will not be eligible to apply for the Government's proposed bespoke immigration route for British Nationals (Overseas) passport holders but whose rights and freedoms remain threatened by the introduction of new national security legislation in Hong Kong.

Nigel Adams: Holding answer received on 20 July 2020



As the Foreign Secretary said in Parliament on 1 July, we constantly assess the numbers of those expected to take up the bespoke immigration route which we will put in place for British Nationals (Overseas) (BN(O)s) and their dependants. We estimate that there are up to 2.9 million status holders eligible for BN(O) passports. Of those, there are around 350,000 passport holders.We recognise that there will be people from Hong Kong who do not qualify for these new arrangements. The Foreign Secretary is coordinating closely with international partners, particularly those with specific and close relationships with Hong Kong, to discuss what support they might provide.When it comes to Hong Kong, the UK will honour its historic responsibilities. We will continue to bring together our international partners, to stand up for the people of Hong Kong, to call out the violations of their freedoms, and to hold China to its obligations, assumed under international law.

Iran: Detainees

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of reports from British-Iranian detainees in Tehran's Evin prison of serious human rights abuses and poor living conditions in that facility; and whether he plans to raise those reports with his Iranian counterpart.

James Cleverly: Holding answer received on 20 July 2020



We consistently raise all of our dual national detainees cases with the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. We regularly request consular access to all our dual-national prisoners to ensure that they are treated in accordance with international standards and that their welfare needs are met.

Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the Iranian Government on the release of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe.

James Cleverly: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Department of Health and Social Care

Coronavirus

Dr Lisa Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish the number of people identified by the Government as extremely vulnerable during the covid-19 outbreak (a) by health condition, (b) who are under 60 years old and (c) who pay for their prescriptions.

Jo Churchill: We have no plans to do so as the information is not held in the format requested.Information on the clinical extremely vulnerable people included on the Shielded Patient List is available at the following link. This includes a breakdown by the following age groups: 0-18, 19-69, 70+https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/mi-english-coronavirus-covid-19-shielded-patient-list-summary-totals/

NHS: Protective Clothing

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many face masks (a) donated and (b) sold by the Government of the People's Republic of China to the UK to help protect NHS staff from Covid-19 have been found to be faulty in the last three months.

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many visors (a) donated and (b) sold by the Government of the People's Republic of China to the UK to help protect NHS staff from Covid-19 have been found to be faulty in the last three months.

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many pairs of gloves (a) donated and (b) sold by the Government of the People's Republic of China to the UK to help protect NHS staff from Covid-19 have been found to be faulty in the last three months.

Jo Churchill: China is an important source of life-saving medical equipment and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the National Health Service. All medical equipment procured by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Department for International Trade undergoes extensive checks before it is distributed to frontline services. These include visual stock inspection, due diligence on the supplier, and matching products to technical specifications.Currently, information on the amounts of PPE found to be faulty from the People’s Republic of China is not held centrally. All PPE procured from abroad that arrives at the Daventry warehouse is checked. If it is not CE marked then documents are sent to the UK regulators, the Health and Safety Executive and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, who agree to its release as the Market Surveillance Authorities for PPE and medical devices. Products are only released into the supply chain if the documents show the product is fit for its intended use.

Coronavirus: Ethnic Groups and Gender

Alberto Costa: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to collect data on the impact of covid-19 on different (a) genders and (b) ethnicities.

Jo Churchill: Public Health England has established surveillance systems to collect and analyse data on COVID-19 infection by demographic characteristics including gender.The number of deaths with confirmed COVID-19 by age and gender can be viewed on the National COVID-19 Weekly Summary Report at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-covid-19-surveillance-reportsNHS England and NHS Improvement lead on reporting deaths with confirmed COVID-19 in hospital. They publish a daily summary that includes a breakdown by ethnicity. These are updated weekly and can be viewed at the following link: https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/covid-19-daily-deaths/

Dental Services: Coronavirus

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the ability of patients to access urgent dental care hubs.

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he has taken to assist patients to travel to urgent dental care hubs.

Jo Churchill: NHS Dental Practices were able to restart face to face care from 8th June, with the aim of increasing levels of service as fast as is safely possible, taking into account Public Health England guidance and continued infection risks.Urgent Dental Centres remain open to support the provision of urgent and emergency face to face care for dental patients and patients will be referred to urgent dental care centres, where needed locally. NHS England set up over 600 urgent dental care centres during the peak of the pandemic which remain open for urgent dental treatment. NHS England and NHS Improvement have looked closely at the distribution of these centres to ensure they are as accessible as possible.

Dental Services: York

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department has taken to ensure that dental staff in York have adequate supplies of of personal protective equipment for (a) routine treatment and (b) treatment that requires aerosol techniques.

Jo Churchill: Holding answer received on 04 May 2020



From Monday 8 June all National Health Service practices were able to start, at their own pace, seeing patients again once they have appropriate social distancing and other safety measures in place. Personal protective equipment (PPE) for dentists is being made available through their business as usual wholesalers. We have also set up new distribution routes for dentistry to ensure continuity of supply for all urgent dental care centres and have placed them on the list of priority areas to receive supplies from Local Resilience Forums. PPE for dental practices will include equipment necessary for aerosol generating procedures.

Health Services: Protective Clothing

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent steps his Department has taken to ensure the adequate supply of (a) FFP3 masks and (b) water-repellant gowns for health care staff exposed to aerosol-generating procedures during the covid-19 outbreak.

Jo Churchill: We are clear frontline staff should have the equipment they need to do their job safely.Over 2.2 billion items of personal protective equipment (PPE) have been delivered to National Health Service and social care staff across England since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak and almost 28 billion items of PPE have been ordered overall from United Kingdom-based manufacturers and international partners to provide a continuous supply in the coming months. Lord Deighton is leading the Government effort by British industry to manufacture PPE.We are confident in the stocks and sources of supply of PPE to meet the needs of health and social care over the next seven and 90 days including FFP3 masks and water-repellent gowns. The National Supply Disruption Response operates a 24-hour helpline that can respond to emergency PPE requests.

Coronavirus: Disease Control

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to publish the covid-19 reproduction R number for each region of the UK.

Jo Churchill: Holding answer received on 20 May 2020



Information on the R number and growth in the rate of coronavirus in the UK and by NHS England regions is published at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-r-number-in-the-uk

Home Care Services: Protective Clothing

Mr Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that people carrying out domiciliary care for local authorities have access to personal protective equipment during the covid-19 outbreak.

Jo Churchill: The Government is doing everything it can to get home carers the personal protective equipment (PPE) they need to provide care and support safely. On 11 May, we published guidance to support the health and wellbeing of those in the adult social care workforce. As part of our commitment to ensure that social care receives the PPE it needs, we continue to supply PPE to selected wholesalers to support social care. Additionally, we deliver PPE to all Local Resilience Forums to allow them to respond to urgent local spikes in need across the adult social care system. The National Supply Disruption Response operates a 24-hour helpline that can also respond to emergency PPE requests.

Local Government: Coronavirus

Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many local authority areas are trialling the clipper distribution system for personal protective equipment during the covid-19 outbreak.

Jo Churchill: Holding answer received on 20 May 2020



The personal protective equipment (PPE) Portal has now been rolled out to general practitioners and small social care providers in all local authorities in England, totalling over 21,000 providers and delivering over 22 million items of PPE. Originally, the pilot involved inviting small groups of healthcare providers to register with the portal from the following local resilience forum (LRF) areas:- Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly;- Northumbria;- Nottinghamshire;- Hertfordshire; and- Thames Valley. As the LRFs are based on police areas, the list above does not correspond to local authority boundaries. For example, Northumberland, Newcastle, Gateshead, South Tyneside, North Tyneside and Sunderland local authorities are all within Northumbria LRF.

Coronavirus: Yorkshire and the Humber

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the Reproductive Value R rating is for (a) Yorkshire (b) North Yorkshire and (c) York.

Jo Churchill: Holding answer received on 20 May 2020



We do not publish estimates of R for geographies smaller than regional level. These are less reliable and it is more appropriate to identify local hotspots through, for example, monitoring numbers of cases, hospitalisations, and deaths. The Joint Biosecurity Centre and Public Health England continue to closely monitor this local activity closely. The latest R number including by NHS England regions is published at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-r-number-in-the-uk

Dental Services: Coronavirus

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to allocate (a) funding and (b) resources to help the dentistry sector reopen.

Jo Churchill: Dentists contract with NHS England and NHS Improvement to deliver a given annual level of service in return for an agreed contract value. NHS England and NHS Improvement made an early decision in late March to continue full funding for National Health Service dental contracts despite all routine dentistry being suspended. During the restart period which began on 8 June full funding continues and activity requirements continue to be suspended. Dental practices are therefore able to gradually restart while still receiving their full NHS funding.

Bowel Cancer: Screening

Sir Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for what reason the despatch of new or replacement bowel cancer screening test kits has been suspended; what steps the Government is taking to ensure that delayed tests will not adversely affect the treatment and timing of treatment for people with bowel cancer; and if he will make a statement.

Jo Churchill: Holding answer received on 08 June 2020



Bowel cancer screening has been rescheduled in many areas, including the dispatch of faecal immunochemical test (FIT) kits, due to the response to COVID-19. In some areas, there has been the need to redeploy staff and facilities to support the required local surge activity. NHS England and Improvement (NSHEI) are working to restore the national NHS Bowel Screening programme, as quickly and as safely as possible, with the immediate focus on people at highest clinical risk.

Coronavirus: Ethnic Groups

Alison Thewliss: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 8 June 2020 to Question 53466 on Coronavirus: Ethnic Groups, when he plans to publish the (a) evidence submitted to and b) recommendations of the Covid 19 Review of Disparities in Risks and Outcomes.

Jo Churchill: Holding answer received on 11 June 2020



No representations were sought or received by Public Health England for their epidemiological report entitled Covid-19: review of disparities in risks and outcomes, published on 2 June 2020.Alongside the epidemiological review, Professor Fenton undertook a rapid evidence review and external stakeholder engagement with a significant number of individuals and organisations within black, Asian and ethnic minority communities, to hear their views, concerns and ideas about the impact of COVID-19 on their communities. The results of that work have now been published and will inform the government’s next steps being taken forward by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Equalities (Kemi Badenoch MP).

Coronavirus: Protective Clothing

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 8 June 2020 to Question 41421 on Coronavirus: Protective Clothing, whether he has set a deadline for the MAKE team and NHS England to report to him on the gender appropriateness of PPE; and if he will make a statement.

Jo Churchill: We are clear frontline staff should have the equipment they need to do their job safely. Personal protective equipment (PPE) is designed to be unisex and offer protection for both genders, though some products are available in different sizes to enable fit to both smaller and larger frames. Getting a spread of the types of PPE staff require is of paramount importance, and our buying teams are aware of the different categories to buy against including sourcing as many different sizes as possible. While a specific deadline has not yet been set, both the MAKE team and NHS England are looking specifically at the gender appropriateness of PPE. The United Kingdom PPE guidance is written with NHS leaders and agreed by all four Chief Medical Officers, in consultation with medical royal colleges. The World Health Organization has confirmed it is consistent with what it recommends in circumstances and settings with the highest risk of transmission.

Public Health: Expenditure

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the total value of public health budgets was from 2014-15 to 2019-20, broken down by health authority.

Jo Churchill: Public health improvement responsibilities transferred to upper tier and unitary local authorities from the National Health Service in April 2013 and are funded by a grant made under Section 31 of the Local Government Act 2003. A breakdown of public health grant allocations made to local authorities for each year since 2014 is in the attached table.In addition, NHS England also has responsibilities for some national public health programmes including immunisation and screening. Information on its spending on those programmes since 2014 is in the attached table.

Protective Clothing: Females

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what equality impact assessment he has made of the suitability of standard size personal protective equipment for women; and if he will publish that assessment.

Jo Churchill: We are clear frontline staff should have the equipment they need to do their job safely. Personal protective equipment (PPE) is designed to be unisex and offer protection for both genders, though some products are available in different sizes to enable fit to both smaller and larger frames. Getting a spread of the types of PPE staff require is of paramount importance, and our buying teams are aware of the different categories to buy against including sourcing as many different sizes as possible. While a specific deadline has not yet been set, both the MAKE team and NHS England are looking specifically at the gender appropriateness of PPE. The United Kingdom PPE guidance is written with NHS leaders and agreed by all four Chief Medical Officers, in consultation with medical royal colleges. The World Health Organization has confirmed it is consistent with what it recommends in circumstances and settings with the highest risk of transmission.

School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme

Wera Hobhouse: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what criteria his Department uses to assess the merits of the School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme; and  what recent assessment he has made of the effect on children of the suspension of that scheme since March 2020.

Wera Hobhouse: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what his policy is on the reinstatement of funding for the School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme.

Jo Churchill: On 18 March the Government announced that from 23 March 2020, as part of the response to the Covid-19 pandemic, schools would remain open only for a limited number of pupils - vulnerable children and children of key workers, as defined by the Government. A decision was taken in March that the School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme would not operate for the whole of the summer term of 2020, recognising the substantial operational difficulties which would need to be resolved in order to restart a large, national scheme like the School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme part-way through a term. This ensures that as little fresh produce goes to waste as possible. The funding for the School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme which will not be spent during the summer term is being used to support the NHS and other priorities during the pandemic.The School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme will resume in September when all children will return to school. As before, all children in Key Stage 1 in state-funded primary schools will receive a free piece of fruit or vegetable every school day.

Department of Health and Social Care: Overseas Aid

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department's share of the Official Development Assistance will be reduced in the event of a decrease in GNI.

Jo Churchill: The United Kingdom has a legal commitment to spend 0.7% of its gross national income each year on Official Development Assistance (ODA). Since this commitment is linked to the size of the economy, the level of ODA spend is likely to decrease this year. HM Treasury allocates ODA budgets to departments and is responsible for decisions on changes to these.

Department of Health and Social Care: Overseas Aid

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department is signing new funding agreements for projects from the Official Development Assistance budget.

Jo Churchill: In the short term, we have paused some new decisions including the signing of some new funding agreements while we agree our future work in close cooperation with other aid spending Departments. We are working closely with Cabinet Office, HM Treasury and all other Official Development Assistance departments to ensure the best value for money and that decisions are taken in the national interest.

Radiotherapy

Dame Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has put in place to increase  radiotherapy capacity to meet the demand generated by additional screening programmes set up in NHS Nightingale Hospitals; and if he will make a statement.

Jo Churchill: During the COVID-19 pandemic radiotherapy service provision has continued. In light of the need to minimise trips to hospital, particularly for people likely to be worse affected by COVID-19, radiotherapy services have made use of fewer fraction protocols as supporting evidence emerges. Recovery is now underway across the National Health Service – the focus for radiotherapy will be on embedding the use of hypofractionated (fewer fraction) treatments.As part of the wider NHS recovery programme, local systems will need to determine how best to restore services and then reduce waiting lists. This might, in some areas, include the use of the independent sector.

Department of Health and Social Care: Overseas Aid

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish the criteria his Department plans to use for prioritising Official Development Assistance spending in the event of a decrease in GNI.

Jo Churchill: To address the most pressing global health challenges and advance our Global Britain objectives, the Department takes evidence-based spending decisions and maintains high standards of programme delivery that are consistent with best practice.

Dental Services

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many dental practices in England have reopened (a) fully and (b) partially since 8 June 2020.

Jo Churchill: This data is not available.

Pregnancy: Prescriptions

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to extend the validity of NHS maternity exemption certificates.

Jo Churchill: Holding answer received on 22 June 2020



The Government has no current plans to extend the period of maternity exemption certificates.

Breast Cancer: Coronavirus

Bambos Charalambous: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the effect on people with incurable secondary breast cancer of the changes to cancer treatment during the covid-19 outbreak.

Jo Churchill: Holding answer received on 23 June 2020



During the COVID-19 crisis, urgent and essential cancer treatments have continued. Some cancer diagnostics and treatments have been rescheduled to protect vulnerable patients from having to attend hospitals. These were all clinical decisions made with the patient and the recovery and restoration of cancer services to pre-pandemic levels is well underway with detailed guidance issued by NHS England and NHS Improvement.

Social Services: Protective Clothing

Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what was the value of contracts awarded to (a) eBay and (b) Clipper Logistics to develop an online portal to enable primary, social and community care providers to order personal protective equipment.

Jo Churchill: Holding answer received on 23 June 2020



The contract with Clipper Logistics was put in place by Supply Chain Coordination Ltd (SCCL), the management function of NHS Supply Chain, via a sub-contract with its existing primary logistics supplier. This was for an initial 3 month period from March to June at a value of £1.3m (monthly extensions at estimated values of £450,000) for storage and distribution of PPE to all NHS Trusts. This contract was subsequently varied for a 3 month period from May to July at a value of £1.95m (monthly extensions at estimated values of £650,000) to provide an eCommerce solution involving an eBay platform for the storage and distribution of PPE by Clipper to care homes and GP surgeries.

Meat: Inspections

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many instances of (a) liver fluke fasciola hepatica, (b) parasitic lung worms, (c) lesions caused by the migration or development of the intermediate stage of the parasitic roundworm ascaris suum, and (d) the cystic stage of the human tapeworm taenia saginata were identified at official post mortem inspection and prevented from entering the food chain by officials working for and on behalf of the Food Standards Agency performing meat inspections from 1 April 2014 to 31 March 2020.

Jo Churchill: The Food Standards Agency holds the following data. For the period 1 April 2014 – 31 March 2020 the following instances were identified at post-mortem and prevented from entering the food chain: ConditionNumber of Instancesliver fluke fasciola hepatica5,852,132Parasitic Lung Worm2,273,973Ascaris Suum (Milk spot)975,796Cystic stage of Tania saginata (C Bovis)2,078

Pharmacy Integration Fund

Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what awards have been made under the Pharmacy Integration Fund in each year of its operation.

Jo Churchill: The Pharmacy Integration Fund (PhIF) was announced in December 2015, with an engagement exercise that ran until the end of March 2016 to identify priority areas for investment. For the initial financial year 2016/17, up to £2 million was available. From 2017/18 onwards, up to £40 million per year has been available for investment. The PhIF does not make ‘awards’, but rather invests in the development and integration of clinical pharmacy. Key areas of investment over the last four years are listed in the attached table.

Vaccination: Disinformation

Anthony Mangnall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to tackle disinformation about vaccinations.

Jo Churchill: We take the issue of disinformation and misinformation about vaccines extremely seriously and are working across Government to tackle this. There is high confidence in the routine vaccine programmes, and we know that the National Health Service rightfully remains the most trusted source of information on immunisation. However, the influence of anti-vaccine misinformation on vaccine uptake rates is hard to quantify, so we are working to address this with colleagues from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and Public Health England.The Department continues to work closely with Public Health England and with NHS England and NHS Improvement to promote the positive value of vaccines in social media campaigns.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress has been made on developing a vaccine for covid-19.

Jo Churchill: The Government has committed over a quarter of a billion pounds to support finding and manufacturing a vaccine in the United Kingdom and, as well as the two leading candidates, is exploring other vaccines with promise both in the UK and internationally. The UK is now the biggest contributor to the international coalition, raising $600 million for the new Gavi COVID-19 Advanced Market Commitment.Domestically, the Vaccines Taskforce is working closely with the BioIndustry Association (BIA) to ensure that the UK has the manufacturing capability to support mass vaccine production at pace and the Government has invested heavily to ensure the UK’s first dedicated Vaccine Manufacturing and Innovation Centre will open in summer 2021.

Cancer: Health Services

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many covid-19 free cancer hubs have been established; what (a) procedures and (b) services those hubs provide; and how many of those hubs provide (i) chemotherapy and (ii) systemic therapies.

Jo Churchill: Holding answer received on 29 June 2020



Covid-19 protected cancer hubs have been set up in 21 Cancer Alliances across England to provide cancer surgery and to keep patients safe. Cancer Alliances lead delivery and improvement of cancer care across England, working with and on behalf of local hospitals and services.The hubs have been established primarily to ensure that urgent and essential cancer surgery can continue and to support the recovery of cancer services. Certain Cancer Alliances may also choose to use the hub model to support the delivery of other types of treatment, which may include chemotherapy and systemic therapies. Information on how many is not held centrally.

Dental Services: Training

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of providing free training in practice management to qualified dentists who are yet to run their own practice.

Jo Churchill: Health Education England is responsible for coordinating and quality assuring training places for postgraduate dental training.Dental Foundation Training (DFT) consists of supervised practice in primary care and aims to prepare foundation dentists to be independent practitioners within general dental practice.The DFT curriculum covers the principles of staff recruitment and employment legislation, risk assessment in the workplace, maintenance of patients’ information, records and of equipment for dental practice. This is an integral part of the DFT programme delivered through day sessions and education supervisor dedicated tutorials.

Dental Services: Coronavirus

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what his timescale is for permitting opening of service dentistry outside urgent care centres as the covid-19 restrictions are eased; what the barriers are to that re-opening; what steps he is taking to tackle those barriers; and if he will make a statement.

Jo Churchill: NHS England and NHS Improvement announced on 28 May that practice-based National Health Service dental services could gradually resume from 8 June, giving dental practices flexibility to do what is best for patients and their teams. NHS England and NHS Improvement issued additionally detailed standard operating procedure earlier this month setting out detailed guidance on how dentists can restart face to face dentistry safely. NHS England and NHS Improvement dental guidance is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/coronavirus/primary-care/dental-practice/Dentists continue to receive full NHS funding with, during the restart period, no targets for numbers of treatments delivered or patients seen. This is to ensure there is no pressure to restart in a way that could conflict with safety. At the height of the pandemic NHS England and NHS Improvement set up urgent dental care centres (UDCs) to provide clinically necessary urgent treatment to patients. The UDCs remain open during the restart period to ensure patients can access urgent care and no additional pressure is put on the pace of the practice restart.Many dental procedures involve so called aerosol generating procedures. This requires full personal and protective equipment during the pandemic period including FFP2/3 masks. The Government is working closely with industry, the NHS, social care providers and the army to ensure that personal protective equipment is delivered to those who need it. This includes supporting dental wholesalers to stock the equipment needed by general dental practice to safely support practices to restart face to face dental care.

Radiotherapy: Medical Equipment

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 18 June 2020 to Question 51867 on Radiotherapy: Medical Equipment, for what reason he did not provide the data requested on the estimated number of patients expected to receive proton beam therapy at (a) The Christie NHS Foundation Trust and (b) University College London Hospitals in the first year the machines become operational.

Jo Churchill: Holding answer received on 01 July 2020



The Christie NHS Foundation Trust Proton Beam Therapy (PBT) Centre treated 160 patients with PBT in its first year of operation (December 2018 – December 2019).University College London Hospital PBT Centre has a similar ramp up plan, and it is anticipated will treat a similar number of patients in its first year of operation.

Radiotherapy: Medical Equipment

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 18 June 2020 to Question 51866 on Radiotherapy: Medical Equipment, for what reason he did not provide the data requested on the estimated cost to the public purse of purchasing and installing proton beam therapy machines at the two UK treatment centres (a) to date and (b) to the point at which those machines become operational.

Jo Churchill: Holding answer received on 01 July 2020



The Government has invested £250 million in the development of the two PBT centres at The Christie Hospital in Manchester and University College London Hospital. This included construction of the centres and the purchase and installation of the equipment.

Obesity: Children

Mrs Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the planned timescale is for the Healthy Start consultation which his Department committed to in June 2018 in Chapter 2 of Childhood Obesity: a plan for action.

Jo Churchill: The consultation was postponed until after European Union exit. The Department is working to review the operation of the Healthy Start scheme and is considering opportunities to improve the scheme. This includes developing a digital approach, which will make it easier for families to apply for, receive and use Healthy Start benefits.Healthy Start vouchers can be used to buy, or be put towards the cost of: - Plain fresh or frozen, fruit and vegetables with no added ingredients such as fat (oil), salt, sugar or flavourings. They can be whole, chopped, packaged or loose;- Plain whole, semi-skimmed & skimmed cow’s milk, that is pasteurised, sterilized long-life or UHT; and- Cow’s milk-based infant formula labelled as suitable from use from birth The Healthy Start scheme is kept under continuous review. Frozen fruit and vegetables were added to the scheme in 2011 and the Government has recently amended the Healthy Start Scheme and Welfare Food Regulations to introduce pulses and canned fruit and vegetables into the Scheme from 1 October 2020.

Pharmacy: Protective Clothing

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to his Department's press release of 5 June 2020 stating that all staff in hospitals in England will be provided with surgical masks which they will be expected to wear from 15 June 2020, whether his Department has (a) made an assessment of the potential merits of applying that policy to the pharmacy sector (b) plans to extend that policy to include community pharmacy teams.

Jo Churchill: Holding answer received on 02 July 2020



The Government has detailed clear policy on the kind of personal protective equipment (PPE) to be used in the pharmacy sector, including community pharmacy teams. The latest PPE guidance from Public Health England recommends sessional use of fluid resistant surgical masks (FRSM) in a pharmacy setting only where social distancing of two metres from patients cannot be maintained. If required, further supplies of FRSM can be ordered through their usual wholesalers and distributor networks that supply to community pharmacies. If these wholesaler routes are unable to provide enough PPE, community pharmacies should turn to their Local Resilience Forums (LRFs), who can provide supplies to respond to local spikes in need. LRFs will continue to receive enough PPE stock to support other sectors, including community pharmacies.

Coronavirus: Protective Clothing

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he has taken to ensure that there are sufficient stockpiles of personal protective equipment in preparation for a potential second wave of covid-19 infections; and if he will make a comparative assessment of the adequacy of the stock levels of that equipment in July 2020 and January 2020.

Jo Churchill: We continue to model future demand for personal protective equipment (PPE) to cover a range of possible scenarios, working closely with the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies to ensure it is underpinned by the latest science. We are confident in the stocks and sources of supply of PPE to meet the needs of health and social care over the next seven and 90 days and are increasingly looking further ahead. We have moved from an emergency situation a few months ago to a stable situation which allows us to prepare with resilience for any second spike or a new wave in the autumn or winter.

Coronavirus: Disease Control

Fleur Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what comparative assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the guidance on shielding in England and Wales.

Jo Churchill: The Government has set up the Shielding Behavioural Survey to monitor whether the clinically extremely vulnerable population in England who had been advised to shield were following shielding guidance and to collect other information such as support that helps this group continue shielding, impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their mental health and wellbeing and changes in their mental and physical health.The survey was produced in collaboration with the Department of Health and Social Care, Department for Work and Pensions, Government Digital Service and Office for National Statistics (ONS). The ONS has published two reports for the periods: 9 June to 18 June 2020, published at 29 June 2020 and 28 May to 3 June 2020, published at 15 June 2020.As health is a devolved issue, shielding guidance in Wales is a matter for the Welsh Government.

Cancer: Health Services

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on implementing Cancer Research UK's recommendation for an increase in covid-19-protected safe spaces for cancer services.

Jo Churchill: No formal conversations have taken place between the Secretary of State and other members of the Government on this topic.

Health Services: Rehabilitation

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when his Department plans to consult on guidance for commissioning community rehabilitation services in England.

Jo Churchill: Holding answer received on 06 July 2020



Cross-sector work has already commenced to inform a refresh of the Rehabilitation Commissioning Guidance published 2016. This included engagement with professional bodies’ clinicians, alongside many other stakeholders, societies and third sector organisations who represent the patient voice.

Coronavirus: Disease Control

Sir Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to prevent letters on shielding being sent in error to people who are recently deceased; and what steps are being taken to ensure that the database being used for such correspondence is up to date.

Jo Churchill: Holding answer received on 06 July 2020



The NHS Shielded Patient List is reviewed daily against a national database of patient information known as the Personal Demographics Service which is updated by general practice, hospitals and information from the General Register Office. Patients who have sadly died are removed from the NHS Shielded Patient List at this point.Sending a letter to the entire list will always carry the risk that some patients may have died before receiving a letter. This is because there are a few days’ delay between the list being generated, the letters being printed, and those letters arriving with patients. We apologise if this has caused distress to any family members.

Arthritis: Coronavirus

Mick Whitley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people who are clinically extremely vulnerable to covid-19 also have a diagnosis of arthritis.

Jo Churchill: The information is not collected centrally. People who have been diagnosed with arthritis are not separately identifiable on the Shielded Patients List.

Pharmacy: Northern Ireland

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the effect of the covid-19 outbreak on the effectiveness of the Northern Ireland Drug Tariff.

Jo Churchill: We have made no such assessment. The Drug Tariff in Northern Ireland is a devolved matter.

Dental Services: Protective Clothing

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that all urgent dental care hubs receive supplies of personal protective equipment.

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that dentists are supplied with appropriate personal protective equipment.

Jo Churchill: From Monday 8 June all National Health Service practices were able to start, at their own pace, seeing patients again once they have appropriate social distancing and other safety measures in place. Personal protective equipment (PPE) for dentists is being made available through their business as usual wholesalers. We have also set up new distribution routes for dentistry to ensure continuity of supply for all urgent dental care centres and have placed them on the list of priority areas to receive supplies from Local Resilience Forums. PPE for dental practices will include equipment necessary for aerosol generating procedures.

Coronavirus: Mining

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the effect of covid-19 on former miners who have underlying health conditions.

Jo Churchill: Public Health England has conducted a review of disparities in risks and outcomes of COVID-19 by various indicators including occupation. No association has been identified with the mining profession. The review did not explore previous occupation among retirees.The ‘Disparities in the risk and outcomes of COVID-19’ report can be viewed at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-review-of-disparities-in-risks-and-outcomes

Mesothelioma: Coronavirus

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for what reasons Mesothelioma is not included in the Government’s guidance on shielding and protecting people who are clinically or extremely vulnerable from covid-19.

Jo Churchill: We understand how challenging this period is, especially for those with long-term conditions such as mesothelioma and are doing everything we can to support patients.Expert doctors in England identified specific medical conditions that, based on what we knew about the virus so far, place someone at greatest risk of severe illness from COVID-19. These were signed off by the UK Senior Clinicians Group (including four United Kingdom Chief Medical Officers and clinical leadership at NHS England, NHS Digital, and Public Health England).In addition, general practitioners (GPs) and hospital specialists have been asked to recommend other patients follow shielding guidance, based on clinical judgement and an assessment of each individual’s needs. GPs and hospital specialists have been provided with guidance to support these decisions. Anybody who is concerned should contact their GP or specialist to discuss further.

Coronavirus: Government Assistance

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that people classed as clinically extremely vulnerable are able to successfully register for coronavirus support as a clinically extremely vulnerable person.

Jo Churchill: Any person that is classed as clinically extremely vulnerable can register online or by calling 0800 028 8327 for COVID-19 support. Final registrations for food support closed on 17 July, to allow for support to reach individuals before the scheme is paused on 31 July in line with Government guidelines.

Coronavirus: Government Assistance

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to support people classed as clinically extremely vulnerable who have been unable to register for the Government's coronavirus support for the clinically vulnerable.

Jo Churchill: Any person that is classed as clinically extremely vulnerable can register online or by calling 0800 028 8327 for COVID-19 support.An outbound call centre was established to proactively telephone clinically extremely vulnerable people who have received shielding letters but not yet registered via the shielding website or automated telephone line, to confirm their support needs. Up to 200,000 calls a day have been made at peak volumes.

Coronavirus: Employment

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what advice his Department is providing to employers on whether individuals classed as extremely clinically vulnerable, whilst no longer shielding, should return to the workplace.

Jo Churchill: All employers have been asked to work with the Government to ease the transition back to a more normal way of life for their clinically extremely vulnerable employees. Employers and employees should start having these conversations as early as possible before the guidance is changed on 1 August.At this time, the Government does not advise clinically extremely vulnerable individuals to attend their place of work if this requires them to leave their home. From 1 August those shielding who are unable to work from home but can work on site, should do so, provided the business is COVID-safe

Coronavirus: Employment

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether a letter from an NHS Trust or GP advising an individual that they are classed as clinically extremely vulnerable is sufficient evidence to provide an employer with when explaining that they are currently unable to return to work.

Jo Churchill: Government advice asks employers to accept the letters sent to the clinically extremely vulnerable as evidence of their need to be absent from the work place.Employers have the discretion to decide what is sufficient evidence and Government guidance asks that they avoid making requests for further medical evidence during the COVID-19 pandemic in order to relieve pressure on NHS services.

Coronavirus: Israel

Dr Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with his Israeli counterpart on that country’s development of a passive vaccine treatment for covid-19 using convalescent plasma.

Jo Churchill: Holding answer received on 09 July 2020



Experts at Public Health England have had several conversations with their Israeli counterparts, including on Israeli research into a potential vaccine for COVID-19.

Pharmacy: Prescription Drugs

Chris Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made on the role of distance-selling pharmacies in ensuring patient access to repeat prescriptions is not disrupted during and after the covid-19 pandemic, including when the shielding programme ends.

Jo Churchill: The Department has made no such assessment. All pharmacies, including distance-selling pharmacies have a duty to patients to dispense prescriptions promptly regardless of whether they are part of the shielded population.NHS England and NHS Improvement are encouraging general practitioners to issue patients with prescriptions via electronic Repeat Dispensing (eRD), where clinically appropriate, to facilitate easier patient access to their repeat prescriptionsNHS England and NHS Improvement commissioned a Medicine Delivery Service from both community pharmacies and dispensing doctors to ensure delivery of medicines to shielded patients during the duration of the programme which comes to an end on 31 July. NHS Volunteer Responders will continue to be available to support people including with medication delivery, beyond 31 July.

Pharmacy: Coronavirus

Chris Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of the covid-19 outbreak on (a) reforms to funding mechanisms and (b) other plans for community pharmacies set out in the five-year Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework.

Jo Churchill: Under the Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework (CPCF), £2.592 billion a year was committed to the community pharmacy sector in the five-year deal from 2019/20 to 2023/24 for the National Health Service pharmaceutical services they provide, a total of nearly £13 billion. To maintain access in areas where there are fewer pharmacies or higher health needs, additional payments, from within that funding, are made under the Pharmacy Access Scheme to eligible pharmacies.

Swine Flu

Sir Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the threat to the UK of the G4 EA H1N1 virus; and if he will make a statement.

Jo Churchill: We continually assess the most significant threats that the United Kingdom and its citizens could face, including natural hazard risks such as a pandemic influenza. The Government continues to review and improve surveillance for potentially zoonotic and new and emerging infections, with early detection through horizon scanning and epidemic intelligence activities, research, and continually improving diagnostic techniques for the identification of zoonotic pathogens. In line with our standard practice, Public Health England is undertaking a risk assessment of the G4 influenza virus and we will take any appropriate action based on robust scientific and clinical advice.

NHS: Remdesivir

Sir Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of NHS access to remdesivir; and if he will make a statement.

Sir Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to secure supplies of remdesivir for the NHS in response to the US Government's decision to stockpile the drug; and if he will make a statement.

Jo Churchill: Remdesivir has been available to National Health Service patients with COVID-19 as part of clinical trials and through the Early Access to Medicines Scheme. Remdesivir has now been granted a conditional marketing authorisation for use in patients with COVID-19 and NHS England and NHS Improvement have published an interim commissioning policy, which states that NHS patients will be eligible for treatment in accordance with its licence. The NHS has sufficient stock for patients who need it.

Remdesivir: USA

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions his Department has had with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on the decision of the US Administration to purchase global supplies of Remdesivir for the treatment of patients with covid-19; and if he will make an assessment of the implications for his policies of that decision on the treatment options for patients with covid-19 in the UK.

Jo Churchill: Holding answer received on 13 July 2020



No discussions have taken place between the Department and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on the decision of the United States Administration to purchase global supplies of remdesivir for the treatment of patients with COVID-19. The United Kingdom Government cannot comment on commercial arrangements that other countries may have agreed with pharmaceutical companies.Remdesivir has been available to National Health Service patients with COVID-19 as part of clinical trials and through the Early Access to Medicines Scheme. Remdesivir has now been granted a conditional marketing authorisation for use in patients with COVID-19 and NHS England and NHS Improvement have published an interim commissioning policy, which states that NHS patients will be eligible for treatment in accordance with its licence. The NHS has sufficient stock for patients who need it.

Coronavirus: Disease Control

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has set a date to achieve zero community transmission of covid-19; and if he will make a statement.

Jo Churchill: Total eradication of SARS-CoV-2 globally is unlikely – unless there is some unexpected biological change in the virus. Elimination nationally (i.e. bringing the number of locally acquired cases to zero) may be possible transiently but is highly unlikely to be possible permanently.A great national effort has helped to reduce the transmission of COVID-19. We have successfully managed to push the R number below 1 and have seen a continual reduction in the number of newly confirmed cases, which we are continuing to see as we reopen parts of society. As we continue to go back to normality in our lives, we all have a part to play in ensuring that we stay alert, to keep R below 1 and reduce transmission.

Gambling: Sunderland

Andrea Jenkyns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the results of the new treatment service for gambling addiction in Sunderland.

Jo Churchill: The assessment of the Sunderland clinic is ongoing. The NHS Long Term Plan includes a commitment to expand the coverage of NHS services for people with serious gambling problems, and to work with partners to tackle the problem at source. Up to 15 such clinics will be open by 2023/24.The treatment clinic in Sunderland, opened in January 2020, is run by the NHS Northern Gambling Service. Throughout 2020/21, the site will continue to serve as a pilot site to test models for spreading geographical coverage of treatment provision, using central clinics that have satellite clinics in neighbouring populations.

Prescriptions: Fees and Charges

Fleur Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if will he make an assessment of the potential merits of enabling the backdating of pre-payment prescription claims to more than one month.

Jo Churchill: Holding answer received on 13 July 2020



Legislation currently prohibits backdating certificates beyond one month. We have no plans to change this.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Exercise

Olivia Blake: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the NICE guidance on chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis will be updated to remove graded exercise in response to the increasing numbers of patients with fatigue symptoms after a diagnosis of covid-19.

Jo Churchill: Holding answer received on 13 July 2020



The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guideline on chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis is currently being updated. All current recommendations will be subject to review. NICE plans to consult on the updated guidance in autumn this year.

Health Services: Coronavirus

Olivia Blake: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what resources he has made available to primary care settings to help patients with long-term covid-19 related symptoms.

Jo Churchill: Holding answer received on 13 July 2020



Primary care has stepped up to the challenge of managing COVID-19 and local areas have made significant innovations in how they offer care. This is an opportunity to ensure that these innovations can be adapted into a sustainable model for the future, including for those with long-term COVID-19 related symptoms.NHS England and NHS Improvement are seeking to expand and strengthen community health and care services as part of the next phase of the response to COVID-19. The Seacole Centre in Surrey has recently opened to provide rehabilitative care to those recovering from the virus. On 5 July, NHS England and NHS Improvement also announced a new ‘Your COVID Recovery’ service as part of wider NHS plans to expand access to COVID-19 rehabilitation treatments for those who have survived the virus but still have problems with breathing, mental health problems or other complications.

Drugs: Rehabilitation

Paul Bristow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence has plans to update is guidance on Naltrexone and opioid antagonists as a treatment for addiction.

Jo Churchill: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) reviewed the evidence on naltrexone for the management of opioid dependence in November 2010 and found nothing new that affects the recommendations in this guidance. In line with NICE’s published procedures, this guidance will be considered for review again if there is new evidence that is likely to change the recommendations.

Obesity: Health Services

Mary Glindon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has to increase the provision of Tier 3 weight management services for people living with obesity; and if he will make a statement.

Jo Churchill: We are committed to looking at what further action can be taken to improve weight management services to better support people living with obesity to achieve a healthier weight.

Obesity

Mary Glindon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the Government plans to develop an updated plan to reduce the prevalence of obesity.

Jo Churchill: Through the three chapters of our childhood obesity plan we are delivering a wide range of measures to help achieve our bold ambition to halve childhood obesity by 2030 and significantly reduce the gap in obesity between children from the most and least deprived areas by 2030. We will be responding to the consultations from chapter two of the plan and taking forward measures outlined in chapter three as soon as we can. We remain committed to reviewing what more can be done and will continue to monitor progress and emerging evidence.

Methadone: Prescriptions

Dr Dan Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 8 July 2020 to Question 61461 on Methadone: Prescriptions,  what discussion his department has had with Public Health England on NHS and voluntary sector provider requests to electronically prescribe FP10 MDA opioid substitution therapy.

Jo Churchill: Holding answer received on 14 July 2020



Requests from both the National Health Service and the voluntary sector to electronically prescribe FP10 MDA prescriptions have been raised as part of routine discussions between the Department and Public Health England.

Public Health: Finance

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the public health budget has been in each year since 2010.

Jo Churchill: Holding answer received on 14 July 2020



Public health improvement responsibilities transferred to upper tier and unitary local authorities from the NHS in April 2013 and are funded by a grant made under Section 31 of the Local Government Act 2003. A breakdown of public health grant allocations made to local authorities for each year since 2014 is attached.In addition, NHS England also has responsibilities for some national public health programmes including immunisation and screening. Information on its spending on those programmes since 2014 is attached. 



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Health Services: Immigrants

Olivia Blake: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many migrants have received bills for healthcare treatment in error during the exemption period for charges due to the covid-19 outbreak.

Edward Argar: Holding answer received on 16 July 2020



The Department does not hold data on the number of migrants who have received bills for healthcare treatment in error.

Mental Health Services: Expenditure

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what his Department's expenditure was on mental health services in 2019; and what estimate he has made of his Department's projected spend for mental health services in 2021.

Ms Nadine Dorries: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Mental Health Services: Children and Young People

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the CAMHS trailblazer initiative as outlined in Transforming Children and Young People’s Mental Health Green Paper.

Ms Nadine Dorries: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Public Places: Protective Clothing

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential effect on household finances of the new requirement to wear personal protective equipment in public spaces.

Jo Churchill: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Coronavirus: Protective Clothing

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has to issue guidance on the hygiene and safety of reusable face masks.

Jo Churchill: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Coronavirus: Protective Clothing

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the effect on hygiene and safety of the continued use of single-use face masks; and whether he plans to issue guidance on their disposal.

Jo Churchill: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Hepatitis: Disease Control

Mary Glindon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he is taking steps to support meeting the target in line with the World Health Organization’s Global Health Sector Strategy on Viral Hepatitis of distributing 200 sterile syringe and needle sets each year for each person who inject drugs.

Jo Churchill: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Hepatitis: Disease Control

Mary Glindon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to Public Health England’s 2019 report Shooting Up: Infections among people who inject drugs in the UK, what steps he is taking to implement its recommendation on reducing the number of new hepatitis C infections through improved harm reduction approaches.

Jo Churchill: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Hospitals: Parking

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 3 July 2020 to Question 64364 on NHS: Parking, what assessment he has made of the potential financial effect on NHS staff of the removal of the hospital parking charge exemption.

Edward Argar: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Coronavirus: Minority Groups

Gill Furniss: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies on charging for NHS services of the report by Doctors of the World, An unsafe distance: the impact of the covid-19 pandemic on excluded people in England, published in May 2020.

Edward Argar: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Surgery: Coronavirus

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Royal College of Surgeons of England’s report entitled Elective Surgery during COVID-19, what assessment he has made of the implications for his Department's policies of that report’s recommendation that surgeons be given access to same-day covid-19 testing results to enable testing of surgical patients both before and upon admission and upon discharge.

Ms Nadine Dorries: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Surgery: Coronavirus

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Royal College of Surgeons of England’s report entitled Elective Surgery during COVID-19, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that surgical teams throughout the UK have access to covid-light sites for their patients.

Edward Argar: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Coronavirus

Mrs Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the correlation between health inequalities and (a) covid-19 death rates, (b) developing covid-19 complications and (c) contracting covid-19.

Jo Churchill: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Health: North East

Mrs Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to tackle regional health inequalities in the North East.

Jo Churchill: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Health: Local Government

Mrs Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to support local authorities in implementing a health-in-all-policies approach.

Jo Churchill: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Health: Equality

Mrs Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to bring forward a prevention White Paper with proposals for tackling health inequalities.

Jo Churchill: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Ovarian Cancer: Diagnosis

Kate Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to ensure that people with suspected ovarian cancer receive a timely diagnosis.

Jo Churchill: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Cancer: Medical Treatments

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure the availability of (a) radioligand therapy and (b) short shelf-life medicines after the end of the transition period.

Jo Churchill: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

NHS: Radioisotopes

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of effectiveness of the Health Infrastructure Plan to update and improve the capability of the NHS to deliver nuclear medicine; and if he will make it his policy to increase the number of centres that are equipped to offer nuclear medicine.

Jo Churchill: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Medicines and Medical Devices Bill

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps the Government is taking to work with (a) the life sciences industry and (b) experts in radioligand therapy in relation to the development of secondary legislation to enact the provisions of the Medicines and Medical Devices Bill.

Jo Churchill: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Care Homes: Coronavirus

Mr Steve Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make available to local councils summary data on the number of positive results for covid-19 in each care home.

Helen Whately: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

McKinsey and Company: Contact Tracing

Munira Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish the contract with McKinsey for reviewing the NHS test and trace governance structures.

Ms Nadine Dorries: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

McKinsey and Company: Contact Tracing

Munira Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his office was involved in the negotiation of the contract with McKinsey for reviewing the NHS test and trace governance structures.

Ms Nadine Dorries: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

McKinsey and Company: Contact Tracing

Munira Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much McKinsey will receive for reviewing the NHS test and trace governance structures.

Ms Nadine Dorries: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Antenatal Care: Coronavirus

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to publish guidance on allowing partners to attend antenatal appointments and scans during the covid-19 outbreak.

Ms Nadine Dorries: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Department of Health and Social Care: Written Questions

Derek Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to provide a substantive answer to Question 60681.

Jo Churchill: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Continuing Care: Clinical Commissioning Groups

Mary Glindon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will place in the Library the recovery plan guidance for NHS Continuing Healthcare which is being provided to clinical commissioning groups.

Helen Whately: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Members: Correspondence

Mr John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to respond to the correspondence of 27 April, 15 May, and 18 June 2020 from the hon. Member for Basildon and Billericay regarding constituent Councillor Schrader.

Edward Argar: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Coronavirus: Ethnic Groups

Neil Coyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what guidance his Department has published for Black, Asian and minority ethnic NHS (a) patients and (b) employees in response to the findings of Public Health England’s report: ‘Beyond the data: Understanding the impact of COVID-19 on BAME groups, published in June 2020.

Jo Churchill: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Wales Office

Wales Office: Domestic Visits

Sir Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, when Ministers in the Wales Office last made a Ministerial visit to Wales.

Simon Hart: Details of Ministerial visits and meetings are published on the Office of the Secretary of State for Wales’ website and in Quarterly Ministerial Transparency Returns. In addition, visits and meetings conducted in support of the Wales Office Business Plan are published in the Office of the Secretary of State for Wales Annual Report and Accounts. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State and I both live in Wales and serve Welsh constituencies. We have conducted many virtual meetings with Welsh businesses throughout the lockdown period, as well as virtual visits. I have had two physical visits since the lockdown has allowed in Wales, on 10 and 17 of July. There is a further programme of Ministerial visits planned for the next few weeks and throughout Parliament’s Summer Recess.

Department for Education

School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme

Wera Hobhouse: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many schools are able to offer free fruit and vegetables for children aged four to six, following the suspension of the School Fruit and Vegetable scheme in March and the reopening of schools on 1 June.

Wera Hobhouse: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the timeframe is for the reinstatement of funding for the national School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme.

Vicky Ford: The School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme is operated by the NHS Supply Chain on behalf of the Department of Health and Social Care. A decision was taken in March that the scheme would not operate for the whole of the summer term of 2020, recognising the substantial operational difficulties which would need to be resolved in order to restart a large, national scheme like this part-way through a term. This ensured that as little fresh produce went to waste as possible.The School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme will resume in September, helping infants to develop healthy eating habits by getting an extra portion of fruit or vegetables every day while at school.The government does not collect or hold specific data in relation to schools’ provision of free fruit and vegetables during this period. However, infant pupils currently attending schools are entitled to a free lunch under universal infant free school meals. As stated within the School Food Standards, schools must offer one of more portions of fruit every day and one of more portions of vegetables or salad as an accompaniment to meals every day.

Science: Coroanvirus

Thangam Debbonaire: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will work with the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport to provide the (a) We the Curious centre in Bristol and (b) other science education centres with additional financial support in response to revenue lost as a result of the covid-19 lockdown.

Nick Gibb: The Department for Education (DfE) is funding a range of science institutions to support high-quality science education. This includes funding STEM Learning to deliver high quality continuing professional development (CPD) for teachers of science through the national network of 33 Science Learning Partnerships. STEM Learning also deliver Project Enthuse, which provides DfE-funded bursaries for teachers to attend CPD at the National STEM Learning Centre in York. In addition to this, we fund the Institute of Physics to run the Stimulating Physics Network to provide support to schools to improve progression to physics A level, particularly by girls. The DfE has been working with its providers to agree how to modify their science education programmes in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. This has involved ensuring all activity prioritises the safety of staff, teachers and pupils and exploring what can be delivered remotely. The Government has provided a range of financial support to charities during the COVID-19 outbreak. Information on the range of financial support, including the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, available to charities can be can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/financial-support-for-voluntary-community-and-social-enterprise-vcse-organisations-to-respond-to-coronavirus-covid-19. The DfE does not provide funding to We the Curious. Funding for charities is a matter for the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.

Universities: Government Assistance

Fleur Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of establishing a bespoke support package for universities in response to the covid-19 outbreak.

Michelle Donelan: The government understands that the COVID-19 outbreak poses significant financial challenges to the sector. In May 2020, the government announced a package of measures combining different ways to give further support to higher education providers at this time of financial pressure.We have stabilised admissions and are pulling forward an estimated £2.6 billion worth of forecast tuition fee payments to ease cashflow pressure this autumn. We are also bringing forward £100 million of quality-related research funding for higher education providers in England in the current academic year.This is on top of the unprecedented package of support for businesses already announced, to help pay wages, keep staff employed and support businesses whose viability is threatened by the outbreak. We recently confirmed universities’ eligibility for these schemes, which the Office for Students estimates could be worth at least £700 million, depending upon eligibility and take-up.In June, the government announced further UK-wide support in the form of the Department for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy’s research stabilisation package. More details are available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/support-for-university-research-and-innovation-during-coronavirus-covid-19.In July, the government announced the higher education restructuring regime, under which support for restructuring can be given, as a last resort, when other steps to preserve a provider’s viability and sustainability have not proved sufficient. More details are available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/higher-education-restructuring-regime.To prevent exploitative admissions processes, the Office for Students introduced a temporary registration condition designed to address specific circumstances relating to the impact of COVID-19. To ensure a fair, structured distribution of students across providers, temporary student number controls have been put in place for full-time, undergraduate domestic and EU students for academic year 2020-21 (with certain specific exemptions).We are reminding providers, as part of existing programmes and using established procedures, that the department will consider purchasing land and buildings where they can be used for new or expanding schools and colleges in England. In this financial year, we have budgeted up to £100 million to acquire sites for planned projects in England.The government has been clear that our world-leading universities, will always be open to international students. Our review of the International Education Strategy this autumn will respond to the new context and the challenges posed by COVID-19 across all education settings to ensure we can continue to welcome international students in the future.The government has worked with the Office for Students to help clarify that providers can draw upon existing funding to provide hardship funds and support disadvantaged students impacted by COVID-19. Providers are able to use the funding – worth around £23 million per month for Apri, May, June and July – towards student hardship funds.The Department for Education and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy have set up a University Research and Knowledge Exchange Sustainability Taskforce to consider how best to respond to the challenges universities face on research as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak.This year, students will be able to access better and more personalised information, advice and guidance, and an easy-to-use means to swap course or provider if, having reflected further and taking into account their calculated grades, students decide to change their firm choice.

Secondary Education: Students

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans he has to support Year 12 students who are preparing for A-level examinations in 2021 with (a) educational catch up, (b) the university application process and (c) their mental health needs.

Nick Gibb: The Government is working to minimise the impact of disruption to young people’s education, including those taking year 12 exams and applying to university next year.  From 15 June, to supplement remote education, secondary schools are offering some face-to-face support to both year 10 and year 12 students, and colleges are doing the same for 16 to 19 students also taking exams next year. All students will return to school or college full time in the autumn, and the Department published guidance for schools and colleges on 2 July. The guidance for schools can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak.The guidance for colleges can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-maintaining-further-education-provision.We also recognise that A level students have experienced disruption to their education. On 2 July, Ofqual published consultation proposals on a range of possible changes to A level, AS level and GCSE exams and assessments next year, with the overriding aim of ensuring that exams and other assessments are as fair as possible, taking into account any public health requirements and the wellbeing of students. The consultation proposed in particular a range of ways to free up additional time for teaching, including the possibility of a slight delay to the exams timetable next year. The consultation closed on 16 July, and Ofqual is aiming to announce its decisions on any adaptations to A level, AS level and GCSE exams and assessments for next summer by early August. The consultation document can be found here:https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/897137/Consultation_on_proposed_changes_to_the_assessment_of_GCSEs__AS_and_A_levels_in_2021_020620.pdf.We have taken action to make sure that adults and young people can still access high quality careers information, advice and guidance at this time, including on applying to university. The Careers & Enterprise Company (CEC) continues to support schools and colleges to provide young people and their parents with careers education and guidance, working with the network of local partners and providers across the country. The CEC is pulling together and disseminating existing ideas and resources that can be used by schools, colleges and students while pupils are working remotely. In the longer term, they are thinking about ways they can continue to connect schools, colleges, young people, employers and training providers.We are also working with stakeholder groups including UCAS and Universities UK, and with the sector and third sector bodies to identify access and participation good practice during the pandemic and consider how this can be shared.The Government remains committed to promoting and supporting the mental health of children and young people. NHS services remain open, and the Government has recently provided over £9 million to leading mental health charities to help them expand and reach those most in need, and NHS Mental Health Trusts have been asked to provide 24/7 open access telephone lines to support people of all ages.New online resources are also being developed to help schools and colleges respond to the impact of coronavirus on mental health and wellbeing. New online resources are also being developed to help schools and colleges respond to the impact of coronavirus on mental health and wellbeing. The Department for Education, in collaboration with Public Health England and NHS England, delivered two webinars in July to provide further support. The first webinar was for schools and colleges to support teachers in promoting and supporting the mental wellbeing of children and young people during the pandemic. The second event was for stakeholders across the local system to support strengthening of local partnerships to further support children and young people’s mental health as they return to school.New guidance for schools and for out of school settings also includes specific information about supporting pupils’ mental health and wellbeing.Children and young people can access free confidential support anytime from voluntary and community sector organisations by texting SHOUT to 85258, calling Childline on 0800 1111 or the Mix on 0808 808 4994. Children and young people can also find online information on COVID-19 and mental health on the Young Minds website. For support with an eating disorder, children and young people can ring Beat’s Youthline on 0808 8010711.

Special Educational Needs: Coronavirus

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the timeframe is for the restarting of in-person tutoring for people with Special Educational Needs as the covid-19 lockdown restrictions are eased.

Vicky Ford: Supporting all children and young people and keeping them safe is the highest priority for the government, especially at this time. That is why, throughout the COVID-19 outbreak, educational settings have been asked to ensure that children and young people with education, health and care (EHC) plans can continue to attend where appropriate and, following a risk assessment, where their needs can be safely met in the educational environment.From 1 June, we asked special educational settings to welcome back as many children and young people as could be safely catered for in their setting, informed by their risk assessments. In mainstream settings, we asked that children and young people with EHC plans in eligible year groups experience the same return to settings as their peers without EHC plans in the same year group, informed by their risk assessments.The department has now published detailed plans for all children and young people to return to full-time education from September. The guidance provides specific advice on approaches for reducing the risk of transmission as well as other operational considerations for educational settings to follow as they prepare for welcoming back all pupils and students with special educational needs and disabilities in both mainstream and special educational settings.The guidance for special educational settings is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-for-full-opening-special-schools-and-other-specialist-settings.The guidance for mainstream settings is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak/guidance-for-full-opening-schools.Shielding advice for all adults and children will pause on 1 August, subject to the continued decline in the rates of community transmission of COVID-19, which will mean that pupils and students on the shielded patient list can return to their educational setting in September. For those currently identified as clinically extremely vulnerable, decisions about returning to school in September should be based on a consultation with their paediatric specialist or GP. Further advice on shielding is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-on-shielding-and-protecting-extremely-vulnerable-persons-from-covid-19/covid-19-guidance-for-young-people-on-shielding-and-protecting-people-most-likely-to-become-unwell-if-they-catch-coronavirus#understanding-the-clinical-risk-to-children-and-young-people.Guidance on shielding from the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health is available here: https://www.rcpch.ac.uk/resources/covid-19-shielding-guidance-children-young-people#frequently-asked-questions-on-shielding.Where a pupil is unable to attend their setting because they are complying with clinical or public health advice, we expect settings to be able to immediately offer them access to remote education.Since May, as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak, it has been necessary to modify Section 42 of the Children and Families Act 2014 so that local authorities and health commissioners must use their ‘reasonable endeavours’ to secure or arrange the specified special educational health care provision in EHC plans. We are committed to removing these flexibilities as soon as possible so that children and young people can receive the support they need to return to school. As such, unless the evidence changes, we will not be issuing further national notices to modify the EHC duties but will consider whether any such flexibilities may be required locally to respond to outbreaks.

Department for Education: Cybercrime and Digital Technology

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much funding his Department has allocated to (a) digital skills and (b) cyber skills; and to whom that funding has been allocated.

Gillian Keegan: Ensuring that our children, regardless of their background, have world-class digital and computing skills is a key priority of this government. The government introduced computing as a statutory national curriculum subject in 2014 at all four key stages. The new computing curriculum has helped to ensure pupils have the broader knowledge and skills they need to go on to specialise in innovative technologies and become active creators of digital technology. For example, from the ages of five to eleven, children are taught to use technology purposefully, understand computer networks, and design simple computing programmes. England was one of the first G20 countries to have introduced coding and programming into the curriculum at primary school. By the age of 14, pupils can understand algorithms, use multiple software packages and media and programme in two languages. The reformed curriculum is supported by the National Centre for Computing Education (NCCE), which has been set up with £80 million of government funding. The NCCE are delivering a comprehensive programme to improve the teaching of computing and drive up participation in computer science, particularly amongst girls. The NCCE offer fully funded continuing professional development (CPD) in encryption, cryptography and cyber security to improve the teaching of these cyber security skills. The NCCE also works with the National Crime Agency, and the National Cyber Security Centre to share expertise and signpost to resources such as the CyberFirst programme. The NCCE course at GCSE level, Introduction to Cybersecurity, focuses on the range of threats and vulnerabilities that exist on the internet, how they could be exploited and how to mitigate against cyber-attacks. The government will introduce a new digital skills entitlement based on new national standards from August 2020. This will be funded through the £1.34 billion Adult Education Budget (AEB), which aims to help eligible adults aged 19 and over gain the skills they need for work, undertake an apprenticeship or pursue further learning. We are investing an additional £500 million per year on the implementation of new T Levels. Digital Production, Design and Development is one of the first three T Levels to be taught from this September. T Levels in Digital Support and Services, and Digital Business Services will follow in 2021, providing students with a clear pathway to employment in this sector. The Digital Support and Services T Level has a particular cyber security focus with specialisms in digital infrastructure, network cabling and digital support. The government is also investing up to £290 million of capital funding to establish 20 Institutes of Technology (IoT). These institutes will be the pinnacle of technical training, with unique collaborations between further education colleges, universities and businesses offering higher technical education and training in key sectors such as digital; digital is a popular sectoral specialism with 30% of the provision of the first 12 IoTs aligned to the digital technical route. The planned South Central Institute of Technology will have a particular focus on cyber security.

Education: Coronavirus

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when he plans to publish details of the tutoring scheme to help children catch up on lessons missed as a result of the covid-19 lockdown.

Nick Gibb: On 19 June we announced a £1 billion COVID-19 “catch-up” package to directly tackle the impact of lost teaching time due to the pandemic. Alongside a £650 million one-off grant to support pupils that recognises that all young people have lost time in education, a National Tutoring Programme, worth £350 million, will increase access to high-quality tuition for the most disadvantaged young people. This will help to accelerate their academic progress and tackle the attainment gap between them and their peers. We are working at pace to finalise the arrangements for both parts of the catch-up package and will publish guidance and allocations shortly. This £1 billion package is on top of the £14.4 billion three-year core funding increase announced last year and the £2.4 billion pupil premium schools continue to receive to support their disadvantaged pupils.

Apprentices: Construction

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps the Government is taking to tackle the reduction in the number of apprentice places in the construction industry.

Gillian Keegan: Apprenticeships will have an important role to play in creating employment opportunities, particularly for young people, and in supporting employers in all sectors to access the skilled workforce that they need to recover and grow following the COVID-19 outbreak.We recognise that employers, at the moment, face increased challenges with hiring new apprentices and so we will introduce a new payment of £2,000 to employers in England for each new apprentice they hire aged under 25, and a £1,500 payment for each new apprentice they hire aged 25 and over, from 1 August 2020 to 31 January 2021. Details can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/hm-treasury. We will also ensure that there is sufficient funding to support small businesses wanting to take on an apprentice this year.Employers are at the heart of our reforms to apprenticeships, designing high-quality standards that deliver the skills that they need, and allowing them to spend the levy on the apprenticeships training that matters for them. Employers in the construction sector have developed 86 standards which are approved for delivery. These include Groundworker at level 2 and Building Services Design Technician at level 3. A further 12 are in development.The construction industry will be key in supporting the country’s economic recovery and my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister, recently announced a £5 billion Capital Investment Plan to accelerate infrastructure projects aimed at stimulating the sector and help to recruit and retain staff including apprentices.We are working with construction sector to encourage the take up of apprenticeships to ensure businesses can restart and recover as quickly as possible.

Apprentices: Coronavirus

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans the Government has to introduce flexibility in the use of Apprenticeship Levy funds to help mitigate the effects of the covid-19 outbreak on current and potential construction apprentices.

Gillian Keegan: The apprenticeship levy is an important part of our apprenticeship reforms, supporting employers of all sizes to make a long-term, sustainable investment in training. We recognise that employers at the moment face increased challenges with hiring new apprentices so we have announced a new payment of £2,000 to employers in England for each new apprentice they hire aged under 25, and a £1,500 payment for each new apprentice they hire aged 25 and over, from 1 August 2020 to 31 January 2021. Details can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/hm-treasury. We will also ensure that there is sufficient funding to support small businesses wanting to take on an apprentice this year.In light of the challenges presented by COVID-19, we have introduced a range of flexibilities so that apprentices and employers can continue with their apprenticeships. These include encouraging remote learning, as well as allowing furloughed apprentices to continue their apprenticeships and undertake end point assessments.Employers are at the heart of our reforms to apprenticeships, designing high-quality standards that deliver the skills that they need, and allowing them to spend the levy on the apprenticeships training that matters for them. Employers in the construction sector have developed 86 standards which are approved for delivery. These include Groundworker at level 2 and Building Services Design Technician at level 3. A further 12 are in development.We are working with the construction sector to encourage the take up of apprenticeships to ensure businesses can restart and recover as quickly as possible.We remain committed to looking at how to improve the working of the apprenticeship levy, to support large and small employers in meeting the long-term skills needs of the economy.

Universities: Standards

Paul Girvan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department will take to ensure academic standards are maintained by UK universities that amend course material to comply with Chinese National Security Laws.

Michelle Donelan: It is absolutely critical that universities ensure all students have access to the teaching materials they need to continue their studies and fully immerse themselves in our world leading education system.Academic freedom and freedom of speech are cornerstones of the UK’s world-class higher education system, and are fundamental to a student’s experience, wherever they may be based. Providers in England are required to uphold these freedoms through a combination of legislation and regulation by the Office for Students and we expect all universities to comply with these expectations whilst also ensuring they abide by any local regulations.Following my letter to Universities UK, and given the importance of these values, departmental officials are supporting a Universities UK-led programme of work to assist universities manage and mitigate the security risks associated with any international collaboration and to maintain UK higher education values. A key output of this work is the production of guidelines to support the sector, to be published this autumn.

Children: Academic Year

Mohammad Yasin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what support and activities will be available to vulnerable children during the summer holidays in 2020.

Vicky Ford: The summer period is a time of increased risk and vulnerability for many children and young people, which is why across government we have looked to strengthen our existing provisions to meet vulnerable young people’s needs over the summer period.The Holiday Activities and Food programme, backed by £9 million of investment, will provide free healthy meals and enriching activities to thousands of disadvantaged children throughout the summer of 2020, building on the success of the 2018 and 2019 programmes.As well as the Holiday Activities and Food programme, we are providing food vouchers for disadvantaged children through the COVID Summer Food Fund. Due to the unprecedented nature of the COVID-19 outbreak, we recognise families will face increased pressure on household budgets over the coming months. This fund will enable children who are eligible for benefits-related free school meals to be supported over the summer holiday period. During the COVID-19 outbreak, we have also temporarily extended the free school meals eligibility to include some groups who have no recourse to public funds.Alongside this support, we also have a comprehensive set of services that will continue to support young people over the summer months. The National Citizen Service (NCS) will provide a new support offer for 16 to 17 year olds. Further education colleges and schools will be offered a menu of NCS activities over 2-10 days, which can be tailored to support any summer or autumn activities that the college or other provider are running as part of their post COVID-19 re-engagement or induction phases with students. This support will be free to further education colleges and schools and delivered in late summer and throughout autumn.We have also distributed funding to strengthen key frontline services, including £34.15 million to support vulnerable children’s charities. This funding has been used to provide online counselling, therapy and face to face support for vulnerable children through a coalition of charities led by Barnardo’s, as well as funding to expand helplines and provide ongoing support to particularly vulnerable groups.A range of other support for vulnerable children will continue over the summer holidays including maintaining contact with families through the Ministry of Communities, Housing and Local Government’s Troubled Families programme, as well as the Home Office’s Violence Reduction Units that will continue to bring together multi-agency partners to tackle violent crime and provide summer provision.The government is also providing £1 billion of catch-up funding to directly tackle the impact of lost teaching time over the 2020-21 academic year. This includes £650 million to be shared across state primary and secondary schools, which can be used to support pupils through summer school provision.

Schools: Mental Health

Dr Lisa Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, which of this Department's funding streams will be used to allocate funding to schools for mental wellbeing in September 2020.

Vicky Ford: The return to school is a vital factor in supporting the mental wellbeing of pupils, in addition to providing more opportunities for physical activity, attendance at school allows social interaction with peers, carers and teachers, which benefits wellbeing. To support this, we have encouraged schools to focus on mental wellbeing as pupils return.The department has now published detailed plans for all children and young people to return to full-time education from September. The guidance highlights the particular need to focus on pastoral support and mental wellbeing as a central part of what schools provide, in order to re-engage them and rebuild social interaction with their friends and teachers. This will involve curriculum provision as well as extra-curricular and pastoral support. Our recently published mental wellbeing module, part of the relationships, sex and health education curriculum, will support teachers to prepare to deliver content on mental health and wellbeing. The guidance for schools is available here:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak/guidance-for-full-opening-schools.The mental wellbeing teacher training module as part of the relationships, sex and health education curriculum is available here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/teaching-about-mental-wellbeing.Schools already support the mental wellbeing of their pupils as part of their curriculum provision and pastoral support. This is paid for from schools’ core funding, which is rising by £2.6 billion in 2020-21, £4.8 billion in 2021-22 and £7.1 billion in 2022-23, compared to 2019-20 funding levels. To support the return to school, the government has also announced an additional £650 million ‘catch-up’ premium, as part of our wider £1 billion Covid catch-up package, to be shared across all state-funded schools over the 2020-21 academic year. School leaders will have the discretion on how to use this funding to best support their pupils to catch up for lost time, which in some cases, will include support to parents, carers and children to help them re-engage with learning. Pastoral support is a core job for schools, we do not place restrictions on spend because it is important that schools are free to decide how best to use the core funding they receive.Access to mental health support is more important than ever during the COVID-19 outbreak. NHS services remain open, and leading mental health charities are being supported to deliver additional services through the £5 million Coronavirus Mental Health Response Fund. During Mental Health Awareness Week, the government also announced that a further £4.2 million will be awarded to mental health charities, including the Samaritans, Young Minds and Bipolar UK. All NHS mental health trusts have been asked to ensure that there are 24/7 open access telephone lines to support people of all ages.

Disabled Students' Allowances

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the effect of his Department's announcement of 6 July 2020 on (a) changes to the Disabled Students' Allowance and (b) the introduction of a maximum allowance of £25,000 applying to both full-time and part-time undergraduate and postgraduate recipients of that allowance on those students with the highest needs.

Michelle Donelan: Regulations will be laid in Parliament to effect this policy change along with the other elements of the student finance package for the 2021-22 academic year. An equality analysis will be published alongside that. The date that these regulations will be laid is yet to be confirmed.

Disabled Students' Allowances

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many students have received funding through the Disabled Students’ Allowance greater than the value of £25,000 in each of the last three academic years.

Michelle Donelan: The attached table details management information from the Student Loans Company on the number of students in receipt of Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) greater than the value of £25,000. These figures cover students who received funding as English-domiciled students studying in the UK. For the vast majority of students receiving DSA funding greater than £25,000, this was driven by funding for the DSA travel grant, which will continue to remain uncapped. Recent changes to DSA will provide undergraduate students with the flexibility to access more of the support they need, as expenditure on particular types of support is no longer subject to a specific financial limit.



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Disabled Students' Allowances

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to his Department's announcement of 6 July 2020 on changes to the Disabled Students' Allowance, whether he plans to continue to publish figures on the number of students in receipt of assistive technology (a) hardware and (b) software through the Disabled Students' Allowance.

Michelle Donelan: The Student Loans Company publishes official statistics about financial support received by higher education students. Figures are published for each of the 4 existing Disabled Students’ Allowances (equipment, non-medical help, general, travel). These figures will continue to be published. The published figures for the equipment allowance are not disaggregated further into hardware and software and there are no plans to do so.

English Language: Education

Bell Ribeiro-Addy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of implementing recommendation 68 of the House of Lords Select Committee on Citizenship and Civic Participation’s 2018 report in relation to funding for ESOL teaching.

Gillian Keegan: This government remains committed to the 2019 manifesto commitment to boost English language teaching to empower existing migrants and help promote integration into society.In 2018/19, the Department for Education supported 120,500 adult learners to improve their levels of English through fully and part-funded English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) courses.The Department for Education funds ESOL through the Adult Education Budget (AEB).Approximately half the AEB is devolved to 6 Mayoral Combined Authorities (MCAs) and delegated to the Mayor of London acting through the Greater London Authority (GLA). The authorities are responsible for the provision of adult education, including ESOL, and allocation of the AEB in their local areas. The Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) is responsible for the remaining AEB in non-devolved areas. In non-devolved areas colleges and adult learning providers have the freedom and flexibility to determine how they use their AEB allocation to meet the needs of their communities and this includes planning, with local partners, the ESOL courses that they will deliver locally.

Schools: Birmingham

Tahir Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to ensure that schools in the Birmingham city local authority area are adequately funded to enable a return to operations five days a week in September 2020.

Nick Gibb: Our plan is for all pupils, in all year groups, to return to school full-time from the beginning of the autumn term, and on 2 July we published guidance to help schools prepare for this.This guidance is available here:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak.Schools have continued to receive their core funding allocations throughout the COVID-19 outbreak. Following last year’s Spending Round, school budgets are rising by £2.6 billion in 2020-21, £4.8 billion in 2021-22 and £7.1 billion in 2022-23, compared to 2019-20. As stated in our guidance, schools should use their existing resources when making arrangements to welcome all children back for the autumn.

Overseas Students: Coronavirus

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what step his Department is taking to encourage the return of international students to UK universities.

Michelle Donelan: The government has been clear that our world-leading universities, which thrive on being global institutions, will always be open to international students. Engaging closely with other government departments and the higher education sector, the department is working to reassure current and prospective international students that UK higher education is ‘open for business’, remains world-class and is a safe and tolerant place to study. This includes continued work with Study UK (the government’s international student recruitment campaign led by the British Council), support for the sector-led #WeAreTogether campaign and a package of bespoke communications that will directly target international students, making clear our world-leading UK offer.I wrote an open letter to current international students in April, setting out a number of flexibilities, such as with visas, both the UK government as well as higher education providers were introducing to ensure international students could continue and/or resume their studies, as needed. Furthermore, on 22 June, with my counterparts in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales, I wrote to prospective international students to outline the support and guidance that is available to those who are considering studying in the UK from this autumn. This letter reiterates a number of flexibilities that the government has already announced for international students including allowing the switching of visa categories within the UK; confirmation that distance/blended learning will be permitted for the 2020/21 academic year (provided that international students’ sponsors intend to transition to face-to-face learning as soon as circumstances allow); and, steps to further promote the new graduate route, which will be introduced from Summer 2021.The graduate route will be simple and light-touch and it will permit graduates at undergraduate and masters level to remain in the UK for two years and PhD graduates to remain in the UK for three years after they have finished their studies in order to work, or look for work, at any skill level. On 16 June government confirmed that international students present in the UK before 6 April 2021 will be eligible for the graduate route if they meet the other requirements of the route when it is introduced. This represents a significant improvement in our offer to international students and will help ensure the UK higher education sector remains competitive internationally.In addition, on Friday 5 June, the government announced Sir Steve Smith as the UK’s new International Education Champion. Sir Steve will assist with opening up export growth opportunities for the whole UK education sector, which will include attracting international students to UK Universities. Alongside Sir Steve’s appointment, our review of the International Education Strategy this autumn will respond to the new context and the challenges that are posed by COVID-19 across all education settings to ensure we can continue to welcome international students in the future.

London Metropolitan University

Emma Hardy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of increasing London Metropolitan University's student number control limit.

Michelle Donelan: I have regular meetings with representatives from the higher education sector, including individual providers, to discuss temporary student number controls and higher education issues.London Metropolitan University has made representations to the department in relation to student number controls. As with all such representations, officials will consider and respond to the university in due course.My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, departmental officials and I will continue to work closely with the sector on strengthening and stabilising the higher education system.

Assessments: Coronavirus

Nickie Aiken: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to help support home schooled pupils who were due sit exams in summer 2020 in the event that those pupils are unable to provide a sufficient level of evidence for exam centres to allocate assessment grades and rankings for those pupils unable to sit those exams as a result of the covid-19 outbreak.

Nick Gibb: Not all external candidates will be able to be awarded a calculated grade this summer because some will not have been in a position to provide sufficient evidence to enable their exam centre to include them in their centre assessment grades and rankings. The Department has therefore announced that there will be an opportunity for these and other students to sit exams in the autumn. Following Ofqual’s consultation on this autumn series, it has been confirmed that students will be able to sit exams in all subjects at A, AS level and GCSE.Ofqual has also asked university and college representatives associations to consider the steps that universities and colleges could take when making admissions decisions this summer for any external candidates who do not receive a grade. They have said that they believe institutions will consider a range of other evidence and information for these students to allow them to progress wherever possible.

GCE A-level: Ethnic Groups

Neil O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what  the average total A-level point score was for (a) White British, (b) Indian, (c) Bangladeshi, (d) Pakistani, (e) Black African, (f) Black Caribbean, (g) mixed ethnicity and (h) all pupils in each of the last 20 years.

Nick Gibb: The information is not available in the format requested.The most equivalent A level attainment statistic is the Average Point Score (APS) per entry, data for 2018/19 is available from the file ‘2019_REVISED_Performance_measures_by_characteristics’ in the ‘Underlying data: 2019 revised 16 to 18 results csv’ link below:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/a-level-and-other-16-to-18-results-2018-to-2019-revised.Similarly, data is available from the underlying data produced for the equivalent publications in 2016/17 and 2017/18 as set out below:‘2018_REVISED_Performance_measures_by_characteristics’ from the underlying data available at:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/a-level-and-other-16-to-18-results-2017-to-2018-revised.‘SFR03_2018_Performance_measurse_by_characteristics’ from the underlying data available at:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/a-level-and-other-16-to-18-results-2016-to-2017-revised.

GCE A-level: Ethnic Groups

Neil O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many and what proportion of (a) White British, (b) Indian, (c) Bangladeshi, (d) Pakistani, (e) Black African, (f) Black Caribbean, (g) mixed ethnicity and (h) all pupils achieved  AAB or better at A level in each of the last 20 years.

Nick Gibb: The proportion of students that achieved AAB or better at A level, broken down by ethnicity, is available for 2018/19 from the file ‘2019_REVISED_Performance_measures_by_characteristics’ on the ‘Underlying data: 2019 revised 16 to 18 results csv’ link below:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/a-level-and-other-16-to-18-results-2018-to-2019-revised. Similarly, data is available from the underlying data produced for the equivalent publications in 2016/17 and 2017/18 as set out below:‘2018_REVISED_Performance_measures_by_characteristics’ from the underlying data available at:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/a-level-and-other-16-to-18-results-2017-to-2018-revised.‘SFR03_2018_Performance_measurse_by_characteristics’ from the underlying data available at:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/a-level-and-other-16-to-18-results-2016-to-2017-revised.

Children: Mental Health

Mick Whitley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment the Government has made of the effect of support for children’s mental health and well-being on levels of academic attainment.

Vicky Ford: We know that children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing are associated with their educational attainment and other long-term outcomes. That is why we are committed to support schools in promoting good mental wellbeing and ensuring that children and young people get the help and support they need, with the right support from specialist services.The return to school is a vital factor in supporting the mental wellbeing of pupils, in addition to providing more opportunities for physical activity, attendance at school allows social interaction with peers, carers and teachers, which benefits wellbeing. To support this, we have encouraged schools to focus on mental wellbeing as pupils return.We have now published detailed plans for all children and young people to return to full-time education from September. The guidance highlights the particular need to focus on pastoral support and mental wellbeing as a central part of what schools provide, in order to re-engage pupils, rebuild social interaction with their friends and teachers and provide a sound basis for academic catch-up. The guidance for schools is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak/guidance-for-full-opening-schools.The government has sent a clear message that NHS mental health services remain open, and we have recently provided over £9 million to leading mental health charities to help them expand and reach those most in need. This includes a number of programmes which specifically support the mental health of children and young people, and all NHS mental health trusts are providing 24/7 open access telephone lines to support people of all ages.For the longer term, we remain committed to delivering our joint green paper programme with the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England, including introducing new mental health support teams (MHSTs), and testing approaches to deliver four week waiting times for access to NHS support. One of the core functions of the MHSTs will be giving timely advice to school and college staff, and liaising with external specialist services, to help children and young people to get the right support, stay in education and achieve to their potential.

Educational Visits: Coronavirus

Ms Angela Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether he has issued guidance to schools that have had residential trips cancelled as a result of the covid-19 outbreak but have been unable to obtain a refund from the company providing that trip.

Nick Gibb: The Department for Education continues to advise against both overnight and non overnight domestic (UK) and overseas educational visits. In the autumn term, schools can resume non-overnight domestic educational visits. All such visits should be compliant with COVID-19 guidelines and subject to a thorough and ongoing assessment of the risks to ensure that they can be undertaken safely. Schools should consult the department’s health and safety guidance on educational visits when considering any visit.The guidance will remain under review, including the position on overnight domestic visits, and will be updated in line with guidance from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Department for Transport and Public Health England.Any disputes regarding travel agent or travel insurance should be resolved in line with issued contractual terms and arrangements, or by reference to the relevant regulator or national trade bodies such as the Association of British Insurers, the Association of British Travel Agents and the Association of Independent Tour Operators. Departmental guidance confirms this position.Guidance for the full opening of schools can be found herehttps://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak/guidance-for-full-opening-schoolsCOVID-19 travel advice for educational settings is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-travel-advice-for-educational-settings/coronavirus-travel-guidance-for-educational-settings

English Language: Education

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to support ESOL teaching that has been disrupted by the covid-19 outbreak; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Keegan: We want to get all further education learners, including ESOL students, back into education settings as soon as the scientific advice allows because it is the best place for them to learn, and because we know how important it is for their mental wellbeing to have social interactions with their peers and teachers. Many FE providers are already open for some learners, including those who are 16-19 and adults, subject to the required safety measures being met. From Autumn 2020, all learners, including those who are 16-19 and adults will return to a full high-quality education programme delivered by their college or post 16 learning provider. We are providing a one-off, ring-fenced grant of up to £96M for colleges, sixth forms and all 16-19 providers, to provide small group tutoring activity for disadvantaged 16-19 students whose studies have been disrupted.  We will continue to pay grant funded providers their scheduled monthly profiled payments for the remainder of the 2019/20 funding year and funding allocations for 2020/21 have been confirmed, and payments will be made in line with the national profile. We are also exploring options within adult education and will be making decisions on where we may be able to introduce flexibilities to help remove barriers, including IT equipment or connectivity costs, for learners wishing to access their provision online.

Schools: Mental Health Services

Mick Whitley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to ensure the adequacy of (a) trained personnel and (b) funding allocated to schools to provide mental health services to BAME children and young people when they return to school in September 2020.

Vicky Ford: The return to school is a vital factor in supporting the mental wellbeing of pupils, in addition to providing more opportunities for physical activity, attendance at school allows social interaction with peers, carers and teachers, which benefits wellbeing. To support this, we have encouraged schools to focus on mental wellbeing as pupils return.Schools will need to reflect the particular circumstances of their pupils in deciding how to do this. They may wish to provide particular groups of pupils with specific support, including some Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) pupils, given the disproportionate rates of COVID-19 diagnoses and death rates among Black and Asian ethnic groups. There are also emerging indications of the potential for greater mental health and wellbeing impacts on children and young people from BAME groups.Funding for pastoral support is part of schools’ core funding, which is rising by £2.6 billion in 2020-21, £4.8 billion in 2021-22 and £7.1 billion in 2022-23, compared to 2019-20 funding levels. The government has also announced an additional £650 million ‘catch up’ premium, as part of our wider £1 billion COVID catch-up package, to be shared across all state-funded schools over the 2020-21 academic year. School leaders will have the discretion on how to use this funding to best support their pupils to catch up for lost time which in some cases will include support to parents, carers and children to help them re-engage with learning.The department has published detailed plans for all children and young people to return to full-time education from September. The guidance highlights the particular need to focus on pastoral support and mental wellbeing as a central part of what schools provide, in order to re-engage them and rebuild social interaction with their friends and teachers. This will involve curriculum provision as well as extra-curricular and pastoral support, and our recently published relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) training module will support teachers with preparation to deliver content on mental health and wellbeing. The guidance for schools is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/schools-and-colleges-to-reopen-in-full-in-september.The department hosted a free webinar for schools on 7 July on delivering the new RSHE curriculum for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities, including supporting their mental wellbeing. The recorded webinar is available, free of charge, on the PSHE Association’s website here: https://www.pshe-association.org.uk/content/send-hub.However, teachers are not mental health professionals and some pupils will need support from specialist services. The government has sent a clear message that NHS mental health services remain open, and we have recently provided over £9 million to leading mental health charities to help them expand and reach those most in need. This includes a number of programmes which specifically support the mental health of children and young people, and all NHS mental health trusts are providing 24/7 open access telephone lines to support people of all ages.

Schools: Coronavirus

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when he plans to publish a strategy for schools setting out his plan for pupils in the event of (a) local and (b) national lockdown to prevent the transmission of covid-19; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Gibb: The Government has been clear that our intention is for all children to return to school from September. On 2 July we published guidance to help schools prepare for this, including advice for contingency planning in the event of a lockdown.If a local area sees a spike in infection rates that is resulting in localised community spread, appropriate authorities will decide which measures to implement to help contain the spread. The Department will be involved in decisions at a local and national level affecting a geographical area and will support appropriate authorities and individual settings to follow the health advice. In the event of a local outbreak, the Public Health England health protection team or local authority may advise a school or number of schools to close temporarily to help control transmission. Schools are expected to have a contingency plan in place for this eventuality. This may involve a return to remaining open only for vulnerable children and the children of critical workers and providing remote education for all other pupils. The Department has issued guidance and best practice on remote education and is working with Oak National Academy and others to provide further support. This guidance can be viewed at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak/guidance-for-full-opening-schools A 'COVID-19 contain framework: a guide for local decision-makers' has been published which sets out how national and local partners will work with the public at a local level to prevent, contain and manage outbreaks. This can be viewed at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/containing-and-managing-local-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreaks/covid-19-contain-framework-a-guide-for-local-decision-makers.

Kickstart Scheme: Apprentices

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of the Kickstart Scheme on apprenticeship starts; and if he will publish that modelling.

Gillian Keegan: The Kickstart scheme is distinct from an apprenticeship and the types of opportunities employers offer under each scheme will be different.Kickstart will offer a subsidised six-month work placement for a young person who otherwise might not have got into work or be ready for an apprenticeship. Further guidance on the Kickstart Scheme will be issued in due course. An apprenticeship is a sustained job of at least 12 months with training. Through their apprenticeship, apprentices will gain the technical knowledge, practical experience and wider skills they need to achieve full competence in a recognised occupation.We are supporting employers, apprentices and training providers during this challenging time, so that people can continue to access high-quality apprenticeship opportunities, to continue to build the skills capabilities the country needs now and in the future.As part of the Government’s Plan for Jobs, apprenticeships will be more important than ever in helping businesses to recruit the right people and develop the skills they need to recover and grow. To help businesses offer new apprenticeships, they will be able to claim £1,500 for every apprentice they hire as a new employee from 1 August 2020 until 31 January 2021- rising to £2,000 if they hire a new apprentice under the age of 25 - in recognition of the particular impacts of COVID-19 on the employment prospects of this group.The new payment means it’s a great time for employers to offer new apprenticeship opportunities and take advantage of existing flexibilities to train their apprentices in a way that suits their needs.

Further Education:Coronavirus

Karin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 15 July 2020 to Question 64242 on Covid-19 Education Catch-up Fund, what assessment he has made of the effect of lost teaching time on the educational attainment of young people in Further Education as a result of the covid-19 outbreak.

Karin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the effect of the covid-19 outbreak on the provision of adult skills.

Gillian Keegan: We are aware that the COVID-19 outbreak has caused disruption to people of all ages in education, in particular lost teaching time. Colleges and providers swiftly moved more learning online to allow students to continue with studies remotely. We want to get all further education learners back into education settings as soon as the scientific advice allows because it is the best place for them to learn, and because we know how important it is for their mental wellbeing to have social interactions with their peers and teachers. Many further education providers are already open for some learners who are 16 to 19 and adults, subject to the required safety measures being met. From Autumn 2020, all learners will return to a full high-quality education programme delivered by their college or post-16 learning provider. We announced on 20 July that we will be providing a one-off, ring-fenced grant of up to £96 million for colleges, sixth forms and all 16 to 19 providers, to provide small group tutoring activity for disadvantaged 16 to 19 year old students whose studies have been disrupted.

GCE A-level and GCSE: Coronavirus

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to ensure that (a) GCSE and (b) A-level pupils who were unable to sit exams are not unfairly penalised by not having the opportunity to improve on their predicted grades before schools were closed due to the covid-19 outbreak.

Nick Gibb: Our priority is to ensure that this year’s grading is as fair as possible, given the exceptional circumstances, so that students can progress to the next stage of their education or training.For students who were due to sit GCSE, AS level or A level exams this summer, schools and colleges have provided a centre assessment grade for each subject - the grade they believe their students would have most likely achieved had they been able to sit the exam. Ofqual published guidance on awarding GCSE, AS and A levels which explained to schools and colleges how to do this fairly and robustly, drawing on a range of evidence to reach a judgement. This includes any non-exam assessment that students had already completed; the results of any homework or mock exams; and any other records of student performance over the course of study. This could include predicted grades for university applications but centre assessment grades are not the same as predicted grades. To make sure that grades are awarded fairly between schools and colleges, exam boards are putting all centre assessment grades through a process of standardisation using a model developed by Ofqual.

Ministry of Justice

Marriage: Coronavirus

Mark Tami: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he plans to extend the period of validity for notices of marriage for weddings unable to take place as a result of the covid-19 lockdown restrictions.

Alex Chalk: We understand the frustration couples who have had to postpone their wedding or civil partnership must be feeling.The requirement to solemnize a marriage within twelve months of giving notice to marry is set out in primary legislation, which does not provide for extending this period. It would require primary legislation to change this and we continue to explore potential legislative opportunities. In the meantime, the fees charged by local authorities for giving notice can be reduced, waived or refunded on compassionate grounds or in cases of hardship. It is for each local authority to determine when this can be applied.

Pets: Theft

Tom Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people convicted of pet theft offences have been awarded a prison sentence in each of the last three years; and what the average length was of those sentences.

Tom Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that  (a) pet sentience and (b) emotional harm to pet owners is considered in sentencing for pet theft offences.

Chris Philp: The Government is sympathetic to the emotional trauma which the theft of a much-loved pet can cause. The Sentencing Council’s guidelines on theft now take account of the emotional distress on the victim caused by any theft offence, including theft of a pet, meaning that the courts will now take this into account when considering the appropriate sentence.There are different theft offences under the Theft Act 1968 any of which could relate to the theft of pets depending on the individual circumstances of the case. Centrally held information on theft offences does not identify if a pet specifically was stolen. The information may be held on court records but to be able to identify cases in which pets were stolen would require access individual court records which would be of disproportionate cost.

Sexual Offences: Private Rented Housing

Peter Kyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many convictions there have been of landlords offering accommodation in return for sex under the offence of causing prostitution for gain under section 52 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 in the last 12 months.

Chris Philp: It is not possible to identify from centrally held data the number of offenders convicted for arrangements where sex had been requested in return for the provision of accommodation under section 52 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003. This particular behaviour cannot be disaggregated from broader “sexual offences” under the Act.

Marriage: Age

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of (a) raising the marriage age to 18 and (b) removing parental consent to (i) protect children and (ii) prevent exploitation.

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what discussions he has had for the Minister for Women and Equalities on raising the marriage age to 18  and removing parental consent to protect children and prevent exploitation.

Alex Chalk: The Government continues to listen carefully to the debate on the legal age of marriage. Justice officials liaise closely with officials in other departments that have an interest in this matter and in forced marriage, which Government made an offence in 2014. Evidence shows that the number of people marrying in England and Wales at 16 or 17 has been in decline over the years. In 2017, the latest year for which statistics are available, 183 of the people entering 235,910 opposite sex marriages did so at those ages. Primary legislation would be needed to raise the marriageable age to 18 and thereby to remove the existing requirement for parental or judicial consent at 16 or 17. Such changes would not in themselves, however, prevent marriages taking place under 18 outside the ambit of the domestic law.

Courts: Coronavirus

Karl Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of the additional criminal court capacity created by reducing the number of jurors from 12 to seven due to the social distancing guidance of one metre plus in those courts.

Karl Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he plans to include a sunset clause in legislative reform to jury trials during the covid-19 outbreak.

Karl Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the extra capacity required to reduce the backlog of outstanding cases in the criminal courts.

Chris Philp: There are currently no plans to legislate to reduce the statutory minimum number of jurors. Were the Ministry to propose any legislation we would provide full details of any sunset clause. HMCTS has published a Court Recovery Plan which summarises the measures that are being taken. The Court Recovery Plan can be accessed via the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/court-and-tribunal-recovery-update-in-response-to-coronavirus Jury trials have safely resumed in most Crown Courts and we have announced a number of Nightingale Courts which will further support recovery.

Courts: Criminal Proceedings

Karl Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many and what proportion of criminal court rooms have been in use in each criminal court on each day in the last 12 months.

Chris Philp: The information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Prison Officers: Pay

Mr David Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when his Department plans to publish the pay award for prison officers following the recommendations made by the Prison Service Pay Review Body.

Lucy Frazer: The Government’s response to the recommendations made by the Prison Service Pay Review Body (PSPRB) was announced by Written Ministerial Statement today (Tuesday 21 July 2020). The announcement confirms the pay award for operational prison staff for 2020/21.The full report and recommendations made by the PSPRB have also been published online. The WMS and report can be found here – (https://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-statement/Commons/2020-07-21/HCWS408/).

Wellingborough Prison

Mary Glindon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the BBC report of 9 July 2020 entitled G4S selected to run Wellingborough mega prison, whether minimum staffing levels at the new prison will be contractually mandated; and if he will make a statement.

Mary Glindon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the BBC report of 9 July 2020, G4S selected to run Wellingborough mega prison, what estimate he has made of the savings to be accrued to the public purse of the decision to appoint a private contractor to run the establishment in comparison with the notional public-sector prepared as part of the bid evaluation process.

Mary Glindon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the BBC report of 9 July 2020, G4S selected to run Wellingborough mega prison, whether the successful contractor will be required to follow Prison Service Instruction 07/2017, Regime Management Planning, to ensure that the regimes are safe, decent, secure, resilient and sustainable.

Mary Glindon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the BBC report of 9 July 2020 entitled G4S selected to run Wellingborough mega prison, when the new prison will receive its first prisoners.

Mary Glindon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the Written Statement of 29 June 2020 on Prisons Update, HCWS320, whether the public sector will be allowed to bid to operate the four new prisons.

Lucy Frazer: The competition for the operation of the new prison at Wellingborough has not yet concluded as we are still in the standstill period. We intend to announce the outcome in due course. The operator contracts between the Department and all private prison providers require the Contractor to be responsible for all staffing matters, including ensuring staff have the training and experience necessary for safe and decent prisons. This is monitored to ensure the standards are maintained across the lifetime of the contract. Mandating minimum staffing levels for private prison operators would restrict their ability to introduce and foster innovation, and their flexibility to adjust their staffing levels across the lifetime of the contract according to the needs and demands created by any changes to the prison population or in risk. It could also deter them from engaging with expertise and professional support in the local and wider community and hinder their ability to respond quickly to new challenges and opportunities. As part of the Prison Operator Competition, subject matter experts scrutinise and validate proposed staffing levels within operators’ bids to ensure delivery of operations to a decent, safe, secure and rehabilitative standard. The competition for the operation of the new prison at Wellingborough was not about the difference or preference between the public and private sector. We have been clear through this competition we expected bidders to provide high quality, value for money bids that deliver effective regimes to meet the specific needs of prisoners. Our priority is to help prisoners turn their lives around to prevent reoffending and future victims. We hold both public and private sector prisons to account for the outcomes they deliver. PSI 2017/07 only applies to public sector prisons, however, private prisons will have their own similar systems in place to ensure they provide the required services and use the levels of staff determined as required and appropriate. These are robustly scrutinised for the lifetime of the contract to ensure that the required standards are met. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, construction at the new prison at Wellingborough and early works at Glen Parva has continued safely, with workers following PHE guidance and the Construction Leadership Council’s Site Operating Procedures. We expect the new prison at Wellingborough will open late 2021. While no decisions have been made on who will operate the recently announced four new prisons, we maintain this government’s commitment to a mixed market in custodial services. It is our ambition that at least one of these new prisons will be operated by the public sector. In this scenario, HMPPS would not be required to go through a bidding process. In the event that any of the new prisons were competed these would be done through the Prison Operator Services Framework via a mini competition. In this case, HMPPS would not take part in the mini competition but would instead provide a public sector benchmark against which operators’ bids can be assessed. If bids do not meet quality or value for money thresholds, HMPPS would take on the operator role.

Department for International Trade

Human Rights: Yemen

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, with reference to her Written Statement of 7 July 2020 on Trade Update, what alleged incidents of violations of International Humanitarian Law in Yemen her Department has identified through the revised methodology.

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, with reference to her Written Statement of 7 July 2020 on Trade Update, how many and what proportion of alleged incidents of violations of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) in Yemen examined by her Department under the revised methodology have been classed as possible breaches of IHL.

Mr Ranil Jayawardena: Assessments use all available sources of information – including some that are necessarily confidential and sensitive – so we are not able to provide details of the assessments.Overall, there were a small number of incidents that have been treated – for the purposes of our analysis – as violations of International Humanitarian Law (IHL). However, these were isolated incidents that do not display any particular pattern, and our analysis shows that Saudi Arabia has a genuine intent and the capacity to comply both with IHL and the specific commitments it has made.

Arms Trade: Saudi Arabia

Owen Thompson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what estimate he has made of the number of credible reports of international humanitarian law breaches required to be recorded that would result in the suspension of UK licenses for the export of (a) arms and (b) military equipment to Saudi Arabia for potential use in Yemen.

Mr Ranil Jayawardena: HM Government is able to review licences – and suspend or revoke as necessary – when circumstances require, and this is done in line with the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria.Specifically, Criterion 2c makes sure that we do not grant licences if there is a clear risk that the items might be used in the commission of a serious violation of international humanitarian law.My Rt Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Trade set out in her Written Ministerial Statement of 7th July how she has fully considered Criterion 2c in relation to the re-taking of the licensing decisions, in accordance with the Court of Appeal’s judgment.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

British National (Overseas): Hong Kong

Paul Girvan: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the Government has received representations on establishing a scheme for British households to provide temporary accommodation for Hong Kong British Nationals Overseas who decide to move to the UK as a result of persecution by the Chinese Government.

Luke Hall: The Ministry for Housing Communities and Local Government has not received representations to provide temporary accommodation for British Nationals Overseas (BN(O)s) travelling to the UK. BN(O)s are entitled to travel to the UK and settle according to the conditions of their entry.

Building Regulations: Air Pollution

Geraint Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what plans he has to amend building regulations to ensure the reduction of indoor air pollution.

Christopher Pincher: In the Government’s Clean Air Strategy 2019, we committed to consulting on changes to the ventilation standards (Part F) of the Building Regulations, which is an important component of managing indoor air quality.We launched the Future Homes Standard Consultation in 2019, which contained the results of our review of the latest evidence on the indoor air quality parameters that underpin ventilation requirements in new homes. The consultation closed on 7 February 2020; we are carefully considering the responses received and a government response will be published in due course.Within this consultation, we also committed to consult further on ventilation standards for new non-domestic buildings and for building work to existing buildings.

Local Government Finance: Coronavirus

Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent discussions he has had with the (a) Chancellor of the Exchequer (b) District Councils’ Network on the Government’s plan to tackle the financial challenges faced by (i) borough and (ii) district local authorities.

Mr Simon Clarke: On 2 July the Secretary of State announced a further £500 million in unringfenced grant funding for councils to meet pressures they are facing in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Our unprecedented package includes £4.3 billion for councils’ spending pressures, comprising £3.7 billion of unringfenced grants and the £600 million Infection Control Fund, bringing the total amount of additional support for councils, businesses and local communities to almost £28 billion.The Government is also meeting 75p in the pound of lost income such as parking fees and museum entry charges, where that loss of income is more than a council could have been expected to plan for. For many councils, this will be a significant portion of the income lost as result of the pandemic, particularly where these income streams make up a disproportionate portion of income relative to the size of the authority.I regularly speak to the District Councils’ Network and individual councils. I can offer the reassurance that our aim is that all councils will be funded for their Covid-19 pressures and placed on a stable financial footing.

Empty Dwelling Management Orders

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of Empty Dwelling Management Orders in enabling local authorities to (a) manage and (b) bring back into use empty residential properties.

Christopher Pincher: Local authorities are equipped with a range of powers and strong incentives to tackle empty homes. This includes Empty Dwelling Management Orders (EMDOs). In certain circumstances, local authorities can apply for an EDMO to temporarily take over the management of a property that has been empty for more than two years and bring it back into use.It is for local authorities to decide when to use these powers and to assess the effectiveness to manage their particular circumstances.The number of long term empty homes remains substantially lower than when records began in 2004. At May 2010 over 300,000 homes in England had been standing empty for longer than 6 months. As of October 2019 the number of long term empty properties had fallen to 225,845.

Affordable Housing

Rachel Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether local authorities are required to comply with the Duty to Co-operate to fulfil unmet affordable housing needs.

Rachel Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps the Government takes to reconcile differences between local authorities under the Duty to Co-operate to fulfil unmet affordable housing need.

Rachel Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of whether local authorities are co-operating effectively to fulfil unmet housing need.

Rachel Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many local plans have been rejected as a result of a failure of local authorities to co-operate to increase affordable housing, in England, since 2010.

Christopher Pincher: The National Planning Policy Framework makes clear that local planning authorities are under a duty to cooperate with each other on strategic matters that cross administrative boundaries; and should collaborate to identify the relevant strategic matters which they need to address in their plans. Strategic policies should set out an overall strategy for the pattern, scale and quality of development, and make sufficient provision for housing (including affordable housing).In July 2018 we introduced the statement of common ground to introduce much needed transparency over strategic planning issues, highlighting where effective cooperation is and is not happening ahead of plans being submitted for examination.A local plan examination will first assess whether a local planning authority has complied with the duty to cooperate and other legal requirements. In considering whether the tests of soundness have been met, the examination Inspector will need to be satisfied that the Plan is consistent with national policy. We want authorities to work constructively together to ensure housing need is met and Inspectors are able to assess whether unmet need should be taken by other authorities through recommending modifications to a plan.Some 16 Local Plans have been withdrawn from examination on Duty to Cooperate grounds since it was introduced by the Localism Act in 2011. These were often for a range of reasons, but on two occasions these included reference to affordable housing.

Empty Property

Mike Amesbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of establishing a Housing Conversion Fund to support social landlords seeking to purchase unsold homes.

Christopher Pincher: The Affordable Homes Programme supports the delivery of affordable housing, primarily in the form of new build but also by enabling providers to purchase homes from developers to be delivered as affordable housing where this helps support additional homes. We have made £9 billion available through the Affordable Homes Programme to March 2022 to deliver approximately 250,000 affordable homes in a wide range of tenures, including Social Rent and Shared Ownership. We announced at Budget that we will invest £12 billion to deliver affordable housing between 2021/22 and 2025/26 – this marks the biggest cash investment in affordable housing for a decade and will deliver up to 180,000 affordable homes. We monitor affordable housing delivery and the state of the wider housing market closely and we will keep the need for any further measures under review.

Supported Housing: Registration

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent estimate he has made of the number of properties in the exempt accommodation sector that were ineligible to register as social landlords between 2015 and 2020.

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what proportion of properties in the exempt accommodation sector were investigated by the Regulator for Social Housing each year between 2015 and 2020.

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what proportion of investigations into properties in the exempt accommodation sector resulted in the Regulator for Social Housing issuing penalties between 2015 and 2020.

Christopher Pincher: Whether or not accommodation is ‘exempt’ is a matter for local authority housing benefit departments. The Regulator of Social Housing regulates only those landlords that wish to register with it and who are able to meet its registration requirements (other than local authorities who own homes who are automatically registered). This includes being able to demonstrate that it is a provider of homes at rents below market levels. Not all providers of exempt accommodation provide sub-market rent.The Department has not made an estimate of the number of properties that are ineligible for registration or an estimate of what proportion have been investigated by the Regulator of Social Housing and have subsequently resulted in penalties.Exempt accommodation is often delivered through providers entering into short-term lease agreements with private landlords or property owners. The regulator issued a report in 2019 setting out its concerns about this type of “lease-based” supported housing.There are 11 lease-based providers of supported housing that currently have either non-compliant regulatory judgements or notices.The Government is clear that all supported housing – both the accommodation and support – must be of good quality and meet the needs of the vulnerable people it supports. We will continue to work closely with local government and the sector to develop a range of oversight measures to help ensure this is the case.

Affordable Housing: Construction

James Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how much of the funding available for the Affordable Homes Programme 2016-21 will be included in the £12.2 billion announced in Budget 2020.

James Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the March 2020 Budget, whether the £12.2 billion available for affordable housing from 2021-22 includes funds from the £9 billion Affordable Homes Programme 2016-21.

Christopher Pincher: At Budget 2020 the Government announced we are investing £12.2 billion to build affordable homes between 2021/22 and 2025/26.Of this, £9.5 billion is new funding and £2 billion is for long-term strategic partnerships previously announced in September 2018.This will form the new Affordable Homes Programme. A further £700 million was already allocated as part of the 2016-22 Affordable Homes Programme.The existing Affordable Homes Programme will be extended by one year. This will help to mitigate the impact of site closures due to COVID-19.

Housing: Construction

James Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many of the starts on site reported in the 2019-20 Homes England Housing Statistics Tables 1 April 2019 – 31 March 2020 published on 16 July 2020 refer to units which were also reported as having starts on site in each year from 2009-10 to 2018-19.

Christopher Pincher: Following careful analysis, Homes England are confident that none of the starts reported as delivered for 2019/20 in the latest statistical release have been reported in previous years.

Social Rented Housing

James Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what plans he has to publish a social housing White Paper.

Christopher Pincher: The Government will publish the Social Housing White Paper later this year.

Members: Correspondence

Mr John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, when he plans to respond to the correspondence of 12 March, 23 April and 25 June from the hon. Member for Basildon and Billericay on the Stop the lie of Israel apartheid week campaign.

Luke Hall: Due to the Coronavirus pandemic, departments have received a large volume of correspondence in the recent months which has led to delays. The response to the correspondence in question will be shared shortly.

Ministry of Defence

Overseas Operations (Service Personnel and Veterans) Bill

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his answer of 6 July to the oral question from the Hon. Member for Kingston Upon Hull West and Hessle, Official Report, Column 659, when the impact assessment for the Overseas Operations (Service Personnel and Veterans) Bill 2019-21 will be published.

Mr Ben Wallace: Holding answer received on 17 July 2020



The correct position is that the Impact Assessment for the Overseas Operations (Service Personnel and Veterans) Bill has not yet been published. I will seek to publish an Impact Assessment in advance of the Bill’s Second Reading.

Chinook Helicopters: Mali

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the hourly cost is of an RAF Chinook flying on Operation Newcombe; and what the cost of repairing those aircraft has been since July 2018.

James Heappey: The cost of flying hours and repairs for Operation Newcombe are not held separately from overall RAF Chinook costs. Equipment repair costs in theatre are about £2.5 million per annum. Fuel and other related flying costs (e.g. consumables and stock used in theatre) for the hours flown are about £10.8 million per annum.

Armed Forces: Mali

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many British personnel on Operation Newcombe sustained injuries from (a) enemy and (b) friendly action.

James Heappey: No injuries have been sustained by UK Service personnel on Operation Newcombe from either enemy or friendly action.

Armed Forces: Mali

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many (a) RAF Weapon Systems Operators Rotary Wing personnel and (b)  RAF Regiment Gunners are deployed in Mali on Operation Newcombe; and what their rules of engagement are.

James Heappey: There are currently eight RAF Weapon Systems Operators Rotary Wing personnel deployed in Mali on Operation Newcombe. There are no RAF Regiment Gunners deployed in Mali on Operation Newcombe. It is a long standing convention for the Department to not publish Rules of Engagement in detail. I can reassure the right hon. Member that the Rules of Engagement issued for Op Newcombe, that have been authorised by my right hon. Friend the Secretary State for Defence, are proportionate and appropriate for the role that our forces are undertaking in Mali and that at all times deployed forces in Mali and elsewhere in the world retain their inherent right to self-defence.

Chinook Helicopters: Mali

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether RAF Chinook aircraft deployed on Operation Newcombe have been hit by ground fire.

James Heappey: No RAF Chinook aircraft deployed on Operation Newcombe have been hit by ground fire.

Armed Forces: Mali

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether UK personnel deployed on Operation Newcombe have fired on enemy positions in Mali.

James Heappey: UK personnel deployed on Operation Newcombe have not fired upon enemy positions in Mali.

Chinook Helicopters: Mali

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether RAF Chinook helicopters deployed in Mali have transported captured enemy personnel in that country.

James Heappey: RAF Chinook helicopters have not been involved in transporting captured enemy personnel in Mali.

Ministry of Defence: Employers' Liability

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 13 July 2020 to Question 70308 on Ministry of Defence: Employers' Liability, what the total amount of compensation paid out by his Department was for the (a) 125 claims brought between three and six years of the date of incident and (b) 70 claims brought more than six years after the date of incident.

Johnny Mercer: Of the 125 claims brought between three and six years of the date of the incident, 23 of these claims are still open. Of the 102 cases that have been closed, 54 have been settled in favour of the claimant. I can confirm that a total of £8.57 million has been paid in compensation by the Ministry of Defence in relation to these 54 claims.Of the 70 claims brought more than six years after the date of the incident, 27 of these claims are still open. Of the 43 cases that have been closed, 14 have been settled in favour of the claimant. I can confirm that a total of £2.47million has been paid in compensation by the Ministry of Defence in relation to these 14 claims.

Armed Forces Compensation Scheme

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme, how many claims for noise-related hearing loss were settled between 2015 to 2019; and what the total amount of compensation paid out through that scheme was for those claims.

Johnny Mercer: Noise-Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL) is considered under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS).Between 1 January 2015 and 31 December 2019, under the AFCS, 797 claims were awarded for NIHL. As at 31 May 2020, £5,868,720.00 had been awarded in lump sums and £1,023,931.00 in Guaranteed Income Payments.

Armed Forces Compensation Scheme

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many claims through the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme for post-traumatic stress disorder were settled between 2015 to 2019; and how much compensation has been paid out through that scheme for those claims.

Johnny Mercer: Between 1 January 2015 and 31 December 2019, under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme, 2,087 claims were awarded for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. As at 31 May 2020, £25,294,008.00 had been awarded in lump sums and £9,031,098 in Guaranteed Income Payments.

Armed Forces Compensation Scheme

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the highest possible level of compensation is through the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme for (a) noise-induced hearing loss and (b) Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in a single claim.

Johnny Mercer: Under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme, the highest possible levels of compensation for the injuries which you describe are:(a) Noise-induced loss – Level 6 (the highest level for this category) entitles a claimant to a lump sum of £144,200 (Bilateral permanent hearing loss of more than 75dB averaged over 1, 2 and 3 kHz).(b) Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder – Level 4 (the highest level for this category) entitles a claimant to a lump sum of £298,700 for the most severe cases of mental health disorder (Permanent mental disorder causing very severe functional limitation or restriction). If both these descriptors were awarded in a single claim, the lump sum payable would be £442,900.

Department for Work and Pensions

Jobcentres: Staff

Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 7 July 2020 to Question 68348 on Jobcentres: Staff,  if her Department will publish the guidance issued to Work Coaches and Case Managers to support the re-implementation of claimant commitments in July.

Mims Davies: Universal Credit guidance for Work Coaches and Case Managers is routinely placed in the House of Commons library and it is updated at regular intervals. There are no plans to depart from that practice.

State Retirement Pensions: Coronavirus

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of enabling people over 64 years old to claim the state pension during the covid-19 outbreak in order to limit the use of public transport among that age group to reach their place of work.

Guy Opperman: The Secretary of State will make no such assessment.We have no plans to reverse changes to State Pension age. Changes to State Pension age were made over a series of Acts by successive governments from 1995 onwards, following public consultations and extensive debates in both Houses of Parliament.

Children: Maintenance

Rehman Chishti: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the Child Maintenance Service is currently contacting people who are believed to owe child maintenance payments.

Mims Davies: Where payments have been missed we have asked parents to report the changes via the self-service portal. In order to ensure that receiving parents do not lose out in the long run, the Child Maintenance Service is updating cases with notified changes. Where payments have been missed the Service is contacting parents to re-establish compliance and collect any unpaid amounts that may have accrued.

Children: Maintenance

Rehman Chishti: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when the Child Maintenance Service will resume enforcement action against people who owe child maintenance payments.

Mims Davies: Where payments have been missed we have asked parents to report the changes via the self-service portal. In order to ensure that receiving parents do not lose out in the long run, the Child Maintenance Service is updating cases with notified changes. Where payments have been missed the Service is taking action to re-establish compliance and collect any unpaid amounts that may have accrued. Those found to be abusing the system are subject to the full extent of our enforcement powers and the Child Maintenance Service will pursue these, where appropriate. We are working with key partners, such as bailiffs and courts, who support enforcement activity to establish arrangements supporting enforcement. Once our key partners are fully able to support our referrals we will then move quickly to re-establish our normal and full range of enforcement services.

Social Security Benefits: Coronavirus

Mark Tami: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make it her policy to relax the qualifying conditions for Statutory Sick Pay to enable people contracted for 16 hours per week on the minimum wage to claim that benefit after they have been on the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme in line with (a) Maternity Allowance, (b) Statutory Maternity Pay, (c) Statutory Paternity Pay, (d) Statutory Adoption Pay, (e) Statutory Shared Parental Pay and (f) Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay (Normal Weekly Earnings etc.) (Coronavirus) (Amendment) Regulations 2020.

Justin Tomlinson: This government has a strong safety net that helps people who are facing hardship and are unable to support themselves financially. Individuals who meet the eligibility criteria, receive a flat rate of SSP at £95.85 per week irrespective of their wage. Since SSP is paid at a flat rate rather than being earnings-related, the impact on individuals whose salary is paid at a reduced rate under the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme is not as significant as for the statutory payments covered by those regulations. We will continue to review the situation and take appropriate measures in line with further developments. SSP is just one part of our welfare safety net and our wider offer to support people in times of need. Many of those on low incomes are already in receipt of benefits. For those on Universal Credit, their award will rise if their income falls. Those who are not already in receipt of benefits may be able to claim Universal Credit and new style Employment and Support Allowance, depending on their personal circumstances, to support them when they are unable to work. We have ensured that benefits are easily accessible and more supportive for those who need to make a claim which will help millions of people most in need.

Department for Work and Pensions: Apprentices

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what her Department is taking to reach the public sector apprenticeship target.

Mims Davies: DWP has a total of twenty-four different apprenticeship programmes ranging from Level 2 to Level 7 (MBA level).Continuous learning is an important part of our Capability strategy and through access to Apprenticeships, these schemes are available widely across all professional areas throughout the department.

Universal Credit

Neil Coyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate her Department has made of the cost to the public purse of roll-on benefits for people in receipt of (a) income support, (b) jobseeker's allowance and (c) employment and support allowance during the migration of those claimants to universal credit.

Neil Coyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate her Department has made of the cost to the public purse of rolling on existing claims of (a) income support, (b) jobseeker's allowance and (c) employment and support allowance during the five week wait to receive universal credit.

Will Quince: As set out in section 1.11 of the National Audit Office’s report ‘Universal Credit: getting to first payment’, the Department estimates that it will spend £750 million on benefit run-ons from 2018-19 to 2023-24.

Social Security Benefits: Appeals

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the effect of fees and charges levied on the provision of medical letters on the number of people that bring forward appeals against a decision made by her Department relating to social security benefits.

Justin Tomlinson: No such assessment has been done.

Universal Credit

Neil Coyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate her Department has made of the cost to the public purse of rolling on existing claims for housing benefit during the five week wait to receive universal credit.

Will Quince: As per the analysis for Autumn Budget 2017, the Department estimates the following expenditure in total for the Transition to Universal Credit housing payment is £550 million.

Child Maintenance Service: Standards

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Child Maintenance Service.

Mims Davies: 737,600 children are covered by Child Maintenance Service arrangements; the majority of cases use Direct Pay, where parents arrange maintenance payments between themselves.During the quarter ending March 2020, £243.1 million in child maintenance was paid through the Collect & Pay service, or due to be paid through Direct Pay. When measuring the effectiveness of the Child Maintenance Service, the Service collects data on the rate of compliance. The most recent quarterly statistics show that 68 per cent of all paying parents cleared some of their child maintenance through the Collect & Pay service. At the end of March 2020, 49,200 Paying Parents on the Collect & Pay service had a Deduction from Earnings Order / Request in force. £28.0m was collected from these Paying Parents during the quarter. In the quarter ending March 2020, £2.6m was deducted directly from Paying Parents’ bank accounts. These figures are published quarterly as part of the Child Maintenance Service experimental statistics, which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/child-maintenance-service-statistics-data-to-march-2020-experimental/child-maintenance-service-statistics-data-to-march-2020-experimental

Kickstart Scheme: Private Sector

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how her Department plans to promote the take-up of the Kickstart Scheme in the private sector.

Mims Davies: We will engage with a wide range of private sector employers, as well as those in the public and third sector, both to promote interest in the scheme and to explore how we enable employers from all sectors to take part. DWP and HM Treasury Ministers and officials have plans to meet a wide range of businesses and employer organisations.

Kickstart Scheme

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the Kickstart Scheme will be targeted at regions with higher levels of youth unemployment.

Mims Davies: Kickstart is a national scheme which will support young people across Britain. We want to support as many people as possible through this scheme, starting with young people at risk of long-term unemployment. We will call on public, private and voluntary sector organisations across the country to create placements, we will cover the cost, and ensure that those who will benefit most are first in line.More details about the scheme will be published in due course.

Kickstart Scheme

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will commit to a peer-reviewed evaluation of the Kickstart Scheme after its implementation.

Mims Davies: The government will be monitoring and evaluating the Kickstart scheme throughout its implementation.

Personal Independence Payment: Medical Examinations

Virginia Crosbie: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what her plans are for the personal independence payments assessment centre in Bangor.

Justin Tomlinson: Face-to-face assessments for health and disability related benefits continue to be suspended since 17 March. This temporary suspension was brought in to protect vulnerable people (and assessment centre staff) from unnecessary risk of exposure to COVID-19. We are regularly reviewing this position in line with public health advice, and will also review our estates requirements as part of this work. Personal Independence Payment (PIP) assessment providers are responsible for supplying their own estate. Whilst the use of the Storiel venue has been a temporary arrangement, Capita has confirmed that it is suitable for use as it meets all contractual requirements in terms of size, location and access. The department is exploring options for securing a long term lease with a view to this becoming a more permanent fixture in the future.

Social Security Benefits: Children

Alison Thewliss: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people who made a claim under the non-consensual sex exemption to the two child limit for (a) child tax credits and (b) universal credit have subsequently had that entitlement removed.

Will Quince: The Department for Work and Pensions has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Social Security Benefits: Children

Alison Thewliss: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people who have had a claim under the non-consensual sex exemption to the two child limit have had their claim for (a) child tax credits and (b) universal credit rejected.

Will Quince: The Department for Work and Pensions has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Social Security Benefits: Children

Alison Thewliss: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the appeals process is for rejected claims under the non-consensual sex exemption to the two child limit for (a) child tax credits and (b) universal credit.

Will Quince: The Department for Work and Pensions has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Overseas Aid

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which Official Development Assistance programmes that his Department funds focus on supporting women and girls.

Rebecca Pow: Defra’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) programmes deliver primarily on climate and biodiversity objectives but consideration is given to the contribution of all activities to reducing gender inequality, in line with the Gender Equality Act 2014. Some Defra ODA-funded programmes directly support women and girls, such as the International Climate Finance Blue Forests Initiative in Madagascar and Indonesia, a £10.1 million project to reduce the deforestation of mangrove habitat, create new sustainable livelihoods, support community health and women's empowerment and increase climate resilience in coastal communities. The Darwin Initiative funds hundreds of biodiversity projects worldwide, including the 'Partnering with Business for Restoration of Mt Kenya ecosystem services' project, which has worked with women in community-based organisations in Kenya, supporting them to fill leadership positions where they can voice their concerns and positively contribute to community-led initiatives. Further examples of Darwin projects that have supported women and girls can be found in a recent Darwin Initiative newsletter: www.darwininitiative.org.uk/assets/uploads/Darwin-Newsletter-March-2020-Gender-Equality-Empowerment-FINAL.pdf.

Chemicals: Regulation

Lloyd Russell-Moyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the Health and Safety Executive is taking to ensure it is able to (a) implement legally enforceable (i) restrictions on and (ii) authorisations for chemicals after the transition period and (b) access chemicals regulation information in the period before a replacement for the European Chemicals Agency database is created.

Rebecca Pow: At the end of the transition period, EU REACH will be transposed into UK law. Defra has been working closely with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), the Environment Agency and the Devolved Administrations to develop the processes for restriction and authorisation and we are confident that the processes will be operational when the domestic regime comes into force. Under the domestic legislation, the Secretary of State will make a decision on a restriction on the basis of a proposal dossier and an opinion prepared by the HSE. To give this restriction legal effect, the Secretary of State will make and lay a statutory instrument to amend annex XVII of the domestic regime. If the restriction relates to a matter of devolved competency, the Secretary of State will seek the consent of the Devolved Administrations when making the decision. A company must apply for and be granted an authorisation if it wishes to place on the market or use any substance that is on the authorisation list. Under domestic legislation, the Secretary of State will make the decision on whether an authorisation will be granted. Again, if the authorisation relates to a matter of devolved competency, the Secretary of State will seek the consent of the Devolved Administrations when making the decision. This decision and the reasons for it will be sent to the applicant and the HSE and the decision will be published. The Secretary of State’s decision will be made on the basis of the HSE’s opinion on the application for authorisation. Our REACH legislation also provides transitional provisions for UK-based companies that hold (EU) REACH authorisations or are registered downstream users of authorisations at the end of the transition period or where the authorisation application has reached the stage where the European Chemicals Agency has adopted an opinion, but the Commission has not yet granted a decision. The aim of the transitional provisions we have put in place in that legislation is to strike a balance which provides for a database to underpin robust, evidence-based regulation while placing achievable duties on business. Existing UK registrations and the duties on registrants will remain unbroken from Day 1. These duties include the duty to identify, transmit and apply appropriate risk management measures for chemicals, and the duty to hold all information relevant to their registration and to provide it to the regulator on request.

Seabed: Bomb Disposal

Geraint Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the existing evidence base for deflagration as an alternative to the high-order detonation method mandated by existing Marine Management Organisation licensing for ordnance clearance ahead of the construction of offshore wind farms.

Geraint Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answers of 13 March 2020 to Questions 26130 and 26131 on Seabed: Bomb Disposal, how much funding has been allocated for the sea trials of deflagration planned for 2020, and what the planned timeframe is for that trial.

Rebecca Pow: The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has not undertaken a formal assessment of the evidence base for deflagration. The Marine Management Organisation sits on the steering group for a research project on deflagration commissioned by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, and Defra receives regular updates on progress.A recent project report is available on the UK Offshore Energy Strategic Environmental Assessment pages of the gov.uk website.

Animal Welfare: Inspections

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which local authorities have access to a fully trained Animal Welfare Inspector to undertake the enforcement of the Animal Welfare Act 2006; and what additional funding his Department has allocated to local authorities to undertake that work.

Victoria Prentis: Under the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018, local authorities in England are required to appoint one or more suitably qualified inspectors to inspect premises requiring licensing under the regulations, including those relating to dog breeding, pet selling, hiring out horses, animal exhibits and animal boarding. Local authorities appoint such inspectors using powers under section 51 of the Animal Welfare Act 2006. Local authority animal welfare inspectors also carry out inspections in relation to welfare in transport, on-farm welfare and helping to tackle illegal imports of dogs. It is for local authorities to determine how to prioritise their resources as well as the number of animal inspectors they appoint under the Animal Welfare Act. We do not hold data centrally on the number of inspectors appointed under the Act.

Air Pollution: Coronavirus

Geraint Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of trends in the level of air pollution caused by the incineration of recyclable waste during the covid-19 lockdown.

Rebecca Pow: This is a devolved matter and the information provided therefore relates to England only. Energy from waste plants are regulated by the Environment Agency (EA) and must comply with the strict emission limits set down in legislation. Permit conditions are set based on a range and mix of waste arisings and plants are designed with abatement technologies that enable them to handle and treat a range of wastes. It is currently understood that no operators have reported issues with meeting emission limits due to any change in recyclable waste input during the Covid-19 lockdown. With our Air Quality Expert Group (AQEG), we ran a rapid Call for Evidence to ensure we can more fully understand the impact that COVID-19 is having on air pollutant emissions, concentrations and human exposure. This report was published on 1 July. Improving air quality remains a top priority for the Government and, especially during these unprecedented times, we will continue to take robust and comprehensive action to improve air quality in the UK and minimise public health impacts. Defra has worked with local government, other Government departments and the waste industry to produce and publish guidance to help local authorities manage their waste collection services and household waste recycling centres (HWRCs) during the Covid-19 outbreak. The guidance on reopening HWRCs was developed in conjunction with Public Health England and the Home Office and sets out how to operate HWRCs in a way that protects human health while maintaining safe systems of working. The HWRC guidance is available at:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-advice-to-local-authorities-on-prioritising-waste-collections/managing-household-waste-and-recycling-centres-hwrcs-in-england-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-pandemic Since publication of our guidance nearly all local authorities are now able to offer a HWRC service and local householders can make trips to these sites as needed. Weekly surveys indicate that, due to the hard work of those in the sector, nearly all English authorities are operating household waste collections as normal, with only a small percentage reporting minor disruption.

Recreation Spaces: Plants

Geraint Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he has taken to ensure a diversity of trees and plants in local parks and green spaces to reduce the incidence of allergic reactions linked to asthma and other respiratory conditions.

Rebecca Pow: The Government recognises the importance of a resilient, healthy, and genetically diverse treescape in the urban environment, which is ready for our future climate and relies on saplings grown in the UK. Although allergen-free green spaces are not possible, a range of measures can be employed to reduce allergen risk through good design. We are working to ensure that trees for urban planting, such as in parks and streets, have a varying flowering and pollen regime to reduce the overall pollen burden to the urban landscape and lower allergenic threshold. The Forestry Commission has also produced the Urban Tree Manual which provides advice on selecting and procuring the right tree for the right place in urban areas, including managing pollen.

Air Pollution

Geraint Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the cost of air pollution is to the economy.

Rebecca Pow: Air pollution can affect economic output through several channels. These include: Affecting the size of the working population;Reducing the amount of hours worked per worker, if they are sick and cannot work (or have to attend for a sick relative);Reducing workers’ productivity when at work;Increasing cost for health care resources that could be used elsewhere; andAffecting the quality of natural capital, reducing yields in agriculture. Public Health England found that costs to the NHS and social care in England due to diseases related to air pollution could amount to as much as £5.5 billion for the 2017-2025 period, unless action is taken. An analysis commissioned by Defra estimates that particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide and ozone reduces GDP by 0.11% through labour productivity losses. It also shows that greater vulnerability of children to poor air quality also affects their productivity in the long term. The OECD estimates that an increase in concentration of particulate matter by 1µg/m3 - equivalent to a 13% rise in the UK - would cause a 0.8% reduction in GDP on average in European countries. Improving air quality remains a top priority for the government and, especially during these unprecedented times, we will continue to take robust and comprehensive action to improve air quality in the UK and minimise its impacts on both public health and the economy. We estimate that actions set out in our Clean Air Strategy could cut the costs of air pollution to society by £1.7 billion every year from now, rising to £5.3bn from 2030. These estimates are based on Defra damage costs, which provide impact values for a range of outcomes beyond economic impacts, in particular public health and ecosystem impacts.

UK Trade with EU: Northern Ireland

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent estimate his Department has made of the proportion of goods consignments from Great Britain to Northern Ireland that contain agri-food products.

Victoria Prentis: Data on flows of agri-food products between Great Britain and Northern Ireland are not available from published datasets. Defra has been working with port operators, ferry companies and logistics companies to understand these flows; however, the data themselves are commercially sensitive and cannot be shared publicly.

Agricultural Products: Northern Ireland

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether any additional costs will be charged for consignments of agri-food goods entering the Single Epidemiological Unit from Great Britain following the transition period.

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether Products of Animal Origin moving between Great Britain and Northern Ireland will require an export health certificate or SPS documentary, visual and physical checks following the end of the transition period.

Victoria Prentis: The Northern Ireland Protocol applies European Union sanitary and phyto-sanitary law in Northern Ireland. As we acknowledged in our Command paper The UK’s Approach to the Northern Ireland Protocol (CP226), agrifood movements from Great Britain to Northern Ireland will be subject to checks at points of entry to Northern Ireland, building on what already happens at ports like Belfast and Larne. A trader of a good subject to checks is not charged for the issue of health certificates but may face costs for certification. EU law provides for charges to be made for checks. The Government is making proposals to minimise requirements and associated costs for the movement of agri-food goods from Great Britain to Northern Ireland.

Furniture: Fire Resistant Materials

Geraint Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he has taken to ensure compliance with the Stockholm Convention by ensuring disposal of furniture containing flame retardant chemicals safely at end-life.

Rebecca Pow: The Stockholm Convention bans or restricts the use of persistent organic pollutant chemicals (POPs) that are toxic, persist in the environment, bio-accumulate in humans and animals and have long-ranging properties. The Convention has banned some chemicals that have historically been used as flame retardants in soft furnishings and the UK has supported this action. The waste industry has a legal requirement to destroy POPs that are in articles such as soft furnishings and this is achieved if they are incinerated at the correct temperature. We have recently completed a study to better understand the use of Decabromodiphenyl ether (decaBDE) and Hexabromocyclododecane (HBCDD), which were the most commonly used flame retardants in soft furnishings before they were banned. We will now work with the waste industry to use this information to recognise where soft furnishings are likely to contain POPs, thereby ensuring disposal processes destroy the banned flame retardants.

Welsh Water

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to replace OFWAT executives for failing to supervise Welsh Water.

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will hold discussions with OFWAT on the potential removal of the board of Welsh Water in response to the phosphate levels in the Wye catchment area.

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans he has to restrict Welsh Water to selling water to customers living in Wales only.

Rebecca Pow: This is a devolved matter and the responsibility for water and sewerage companies based either wholly or mainly in Wales lies with the Welsh Government. Welsh Water is licensed to operate as a water and sewerage company operating wholly or mainly in Wales, and its area of operation includes areas in England. It is therefore not for the UK Government to hold discussions with Ofwat regarding the board of Welsh Water or Ofwat's supervision of Welsh Water.The joint Intergovernmental Protocol on Water Resources, Water Supply and Water Quality made under Wales Act 2017 came into effect on 1 April 2018. It provides a mechanism to enable both the UK Government and the Welsh Government to work together on cross-border issues to avoid any serious adverse impact on water resources, water supply or water quality in England or in Wales.Section 48 of the Wales Act 2017 when commenced will make provision for a "down the border" arrangement in relation to water and sewerage. The UK Government and the Welsh Government are currently discussing the logistics of commencement.

River Wye: Phosphates

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will take steps to review the management of the Environment Agency in light of phosphate levels in the River Wye.

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has plans to investigate the Environment Agency with reference to (a) phosphate levels in the River Wye catchment and (b) that Agency's supervision of Welsh Water on that matter.

Rebecca Pow: Defra has no plans to investigate the Environment Agency with reference to phosphate levels in the River Wye catchment. The Environment Agency regulates the water industry and is working with Welsh Water to reduce phosphate levels in the catchment through existing and future investment plans. The Environment Agency and Natural England have a Nutrient Management Plan in place for the River Wye Special Area of Conservation. The Environment Agency is part a wide group of organisations (including Natural Resources Wales, water companies and farming support organisations) that are working to address the causes and impacts of high phosphate levels in the Wye Catchment. This is through a combination of advice and guidance, regulation and the delivery of projects to reduce phosphate inputs.

Partridges and Pheasants: Imports

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many pheasant and partridge (a) poults and (b) fertilised eggs were imported into the UK in (i) 2018 and (ii) 2019; and how many of those imports came from breeding birds kept in cages.

Victoria Prentis: The number of live pheasants and partridges, and the number of pheasant-hatching eggs imported into the UK from the EU in 2018 and 2019 can be found below. There were no imports of partridge-hatching eggs recorded during this period: YearCommodityNumber of ConsignmentsQuantity2018Live partridges3242,739,383Live pheasants6556,684,978Pheasant-hatching eggs98020,593,4792018 Total195930,017,8402019Live partridges2071,673,165Live pheasants3523,299,780Pheasant-hatching eggs103728,248,7732019 Total159633,221,718 The data was extracted from TRACES (Trade Control and Expert System) which is a European Commission system employed by EU member states to facilitate and record animal and animal product movements throughout the EU. It is not possible to differentiate between poults and adult birds using TRACES. It is also not possible to identify how many of these imports came from breeding birds kept in cages. The information provided is a true reflection of the data available. This is entered into TRACES by a third party, and therefore we cannot verify its accuracy.

Gun Sports: Lead

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department has taken to promote the use of steel shot as an alternative to lead shot.

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if his Department will make an assessment of the potential environmental effect of reducing the use of lead shot in shooting sports and activities.

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if his Department will make an assessment of the policy options it has at its disposal to support a reduction in use of lead shot in shooting sports and activities.

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department has taken to support a reduction in use of lead shot in shooting sports and activities.

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department plans to take to support a reduction in use of lead shot in shooting sports and activities.

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of using steel shot over lead shot in shooting sports and activities.

Victoria Prentis: Lead is highly toxic and most of its uses are regulated to prevent exposure to humans and the environment. Between 50,000 and 100,000 wildfowl are estimated to die each year in the UK due to lead poisoning from spent gunshot. Lead poisoning can also have a negative effect on other wildlife, especially scavenging raptors. That is why, in England, the use of lead shot is prohibited for shooting certain species of wildfowl and for use over certain sites of special scientific interest by the Environmental Protection (Restriction on Lead Shot) (England) Regulations 1999 (as amended).Recently the EU Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) Committee, which addresses the production and use of chemical substances and their potential impacts on human health and the environment, has proposed an amendment of the current EC regulation on the use of lead in gunshot over wetlands. The Government will consider the evidence review recently undertaken by the European Chemicals Agency and the proposal from the REACH Committee before deciding if any changes to UK regulations are required. The availability and effectiveness of alternatives to lead ammunition, such as steel and copper, will form part of the consideration. On 24 February 2020, nine shooting organisations issued a joint statement calling for the end of using lead and single-use plastics in ammunition for live quarry shooting with shotguns over five years. We welcome this voluntary move and applaud these organisations for reaching this decision. It is a significant step for both wildlife and the wider environment. The Government continues to support shooting activities which benefit the rural economy and the environment, including wildlife and habitat conservation.

Fishing Catches

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what proportion of catch limits for fish stocks of interest to the UK complied with the scientific advice provided by the International Council for Exploration of the Seas.

Victoria Prentis: Defra does not hold figures on the proportion of total allowable catches (TACs) set in line with the full suite of advice provided by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea. However, looking at those stocks that have assessments advising on their maximum sustainable yield (MSY), of those which the UK has an interest in, 36 (67%) TACS were set at MSY out of a total of 54 TACs with MSY assessments in 2020.

Members: Correspondence

Mr John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when he plans to respond to the correspondence from the hon. Member for Basildon and Billericay of 16 March 2020, 14 April 2020, 14 May 2020 and 18 June 2020 on the campaign on the number of deaths of horses in horse racing.

Victoria Prentis: I apologise for the delay in responding to my Hon Friend. A reply to my Hon Friend’s correspondence has been prepared and will be sent out very shortly.

Recycling

Olivia Blake: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make it his policy to allocate funding to cover additional costs incurred by local authorities from 2023 as a result of the requirement to recycle additional materials.

Rebecca Pow: The Government has committed to ensuring that the costs of any additional burdens that local authorities face as a result of new statutory duties for them to collect a core set of materials for recycling, will be funded. This is in keeping with the New Burdens Doctrine which requires new burdens on local authorities to be properly assessed by the relevant department

Special Areas of Conservation

Olivia Blake: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of strengthening protections for special areas of conservation in the UK.

Rebecca Pow: This is a devolved matter and the information provided therefore relates to England only. The Government has made no recent assessment of the potential merits of strengthening protections for special areas of conservation in England. The Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017 and The Conservation of Offshore Marine Habitats and Species Regulations 2017 provide legal protection for special areas of conservation in England and the offshore marine area respectively.

Rivers

Olivia Blake: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to increase the number of free flowing rivers.

Rebecca Pow: The 25 Year Environment Plan and Abstraction Plan 2017 set out the Government’s commitment and actions to protect our water environment. In the Abstraction Plan we set a target to address unsustainable abstraction and move 90% of surface water bodies and 77% of groundwater bodies to the required standards by 2021. Latest data indicates that about 84% of surface water bodies and 72% of groundwater bodies now support the required flow standards.

Pesticides

Olivia Blake: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to reduce the use of chemical pesticides.

Victoria Prentis: All pesticides are subject to strict regulation and are only authorised for use if a scientific assessment finds that this will not harm people or have unacceptable impacts on the environment. In our 25 Year Environment Plan, the Government has outlined its approach to reducing further the impacts of pesticide use while protecting crops. At the centre of this will be encouraging the development and uptake of Integrated Pest Management, which is about designing farming systems to minimise the need for pesticides and to make use of alternative approaches wherever possible. We will expand on these ideas when we publish for consultation the updated National Action Plan for the Sustainable Use of Pesticides later this year.

Organic Farming

Olivia Blake: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department has taken to increase the amount of land which is organically farmed.

Victoria Prentis: The Government believes farmers are best placed to determine the best method of farming for their land and specific circumstances. While this is a private business decision, we encourage environmentally friendly farming through numerous routes which includes organics. Our Environmental Land Management (ELM) scheme is the cornerstone of our new agricultural policy. Founded on the principle of "public money for public goods", ELM is intended to provide a powerful vehicle for achieving the goals of the 25 Year Environment Plan and commitment to net zero emissions by 2050, while supporting our rural economy. The ELM scheme is being designed collaboratively with stakeholders. We are considering how more environmentally sustainable farming approaches, including organic farming, may fit within ELM where these contribute towards the delivery of environmental public goods. We will offer financial assistance to enable farmers, foresters, and growers to invest in the equipment, technology, and infrastructure that they need to improve their productivity, manage the environment sustainably, and deliver other public goods. Until 2024, farmers may apply for Countryside Stewardship grants to support them whilst converting to organic production. The Defra Organics Farming Statistics United Kingdom 2019 stated that nearly half a million hectares were farmed organically in the UK. This is an increase of 2.4% since 2018. www.gov.uk/government/statistics/organic-farming-statistics-2019

UK Trade with EU

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to The Border with the European Union: Importing and Exporting Goods, published 13 July 2020, what the timescale is for creating the additional Border Control Posts.

Victoria Prentis: We are working with ports and airports to develop a delivery programme which will be supported by the investment fund of £705 million announced last week. We expect Border Control Posts to be operational from July 2021.

UK Trade with EU

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to page 42 of The Border with the European Union: Importing and Exporting Goods, published 13 July 2020, what criteria will determine the risk-led approach to identity and physical checks on live animals until July 2021.

Victoria Prentis: Between January and July 2021, health certification and pre-notifications will be required for live animals and germinal products, and identity and physical checks will continue to be carried out at destination on a risk basis. The following parameters are usually assessed to determine if a live animal is high risk: country of origin including its disease status, importer risk, species. Future levels of checks will take into account the level of checks imposed by the EU on UK goods of similar risk status.

UK Trade with EU

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to The Border with the European Union: Importing and Exporting Goods, published 13 July 2020, what estimate he has made of the staffing levels required for the increased checks on animals and food referenced in that policy paper.

Victoria Prentis: The new funding of £705 million announced on 9 July includes funds for recruitment of specialist staff including vets and plant health inspectors. We are working with the Food Standards Agency and our delivery bodies, including the Animal & Plant Health Agency and Port Health Authorities, to develop resourcing plans for the required expansion of controls. We are already expanding the capacity of some of these delivery bodies and as the details of the new regime are finalised, we will continue to work with them to ensure recruitment of the required number of additional staff.

Water Treatment

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans the Government has to ensure that the supply of (a) chemicals and (b) materials for the treatment of (i) drinking water and (ii) sewage will not be (A) interrupted and (B) adversely affected in the event that a UK/EU relationship has not been reached by the end of the transition period.

Rebecca Pow: As part of the Government’s preparations for leaving the EU, Defra worked closely with water companies and with the industry trade association to deliver comprehensive sectoral contingency plans with arrangements that would protect supply chains in the event that a UK/EU relationship was not reached prior to the UK leaving the EU. This work has significantly bolstered the resilience of the sector and its supply chains. Defra will continue to work with the industry to ensure that the supply of chemicals and materials that are essential for water and wastewater treatment processes is not adversely affected following the end of the transition period.

Home Office

Deportation: West Africa

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Answer of 9 October 2018 to Question 174681, Deportation West Africa, how many of the 60 individuals on board the charter flight bound for Nigeria and Ghana on 28 March 2017 which was prevented by protesters from leaving Stansted airport have since (a) been granted the right to remain in the UK, and on what basis; (b) been referred under the National Referral Mechanism for the identification of victims of trafficking have been granted the right to remain in the UK, and on what basis;(c) contacted the Windrush taskforce (d) pursued a civil claim against her Department for unlawful detention; and whether her Department has since settled any of those claims.

Chris Philp: Of the 60 individuals due to be removed on that flight; Five have subsequently been granted the right to remain in the UK - two have been issued a residence card as a non-EEA national family member confirming a right to reside in accordance with EEA Treaty rights; three have been granted leave to remain on Human Rights grounds.One has been referred under the National Referral Mechanism for the identification of victims of trafficking and granted leave to remain as a victim of trafficking.None have contacted the Windrush Taskforce.To obtain details of those that have pursued civil claims for unlawful detention would involve analysing detailed notes of each individual file and would result in a disproportionate cost to the department.

Asylum: Female Genital Mutilation Protection Orders

Holly Lynch: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many women and girls with an FGM protection order have applied for asylum in the UK as at July 2020.

Holly Lynch: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many women and girls with an FGM protection order have been refused asylum in the UK as at July 2020.

Chris Philp: The Home Office are unable to state how many women and girls with an FGM protection order have applied for asylum and have been refused asylum in the UK as at July 2020 as this information is not held in a reportable format and easily aggregated.The Home Office can state how many people have applied for asylum and have been refused asylum in the UK and can be found in the published immigration statistics March 2020 at Asy_D01 and Asy_D02 and can be broken down by gender:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-statistics-year-ending-march-2020/list-of-tables#asylum-and-resettlement

Human Trafficking: Victims

Paul Girvan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps the Government will take to give victims of human trafficking immunity from crimes they were forced to commit whilst under the coercion of gangmasters.

Victoria Atkins: Section 45 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 introduced a statutory defence for victims of modern slavery. The non-punishment principle is an integral part of the Government’s response to safeguard victims of modern slavery who have been compelled to commit a crime, in the case of an adult or committed the crime as a direct result of being a victim, in the case of a child, at the hands of their exploiters

Undocumented Migrants: English Channel

Paul Girvan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will place in the Library a copy of the agreement between her Department and her French counterpart on creating a joint intelligence cell to tackle migrants crossing the English Channel illegally.

Chris Philp: The Home Secretary met with her new counterpart, Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin, on the 12th July: both ministers reaffirmed their commitment to put a stop to small boat crossings and to returning boats to France rather than allowing them to reach the UK. Additionally, the ministers signed an agreement on the creation of a joint intelligence cell, which will help deter and dismantle the organised criminal gangs facilitating these journeys.A copy of the agreement will not be made public at this time as the document contains sensitive operational information which could damage the ability of law enforcement agencies to operate effectively if released.

British National (Overseas): Hong Kong

Paul Girvan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether it is her policy to grant non-British Nationals Overseas Hong Kongers (a) asylum and (b) refugee status on the grounds of persecution as a result of political beliefs.

Kevin Foster: All asylum claims are carefully considered on their individual merits and determined on a case-by case basis.There is no general asylum policy relating to non-BN(O) individuals from Hong Kong.

British Nationality

Bell Ribeiro-Addy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans she to commissioning a fourth edition of the Life in the United Kingdom citizenship test handbook.

Bell Ribeiro-Addy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the effect that passing the Life in the UK citizenship test has on (a) promoting UK values and (b) improving integration.

Bell Ribeiro-Addy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of granting Cornish protected minority status in relation to the Life in the UK citizenship test.

Bell Ribeiro-Addy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment has she made of the potential merits of implementing recommendation paragraph 463 in the House of Lords Select Committee on Citizenship and Civic Participation’s 2018 Report.

Bell Ribeiro-Addy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment has she made potential merits of including a university degree (a) mostly taught and (b) researched in English from universities throughout in the world in meeting the B1 threshold of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.

Bell Ribeiro-Addy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment has she made of the potential merits of implementing recommendation 75 of the House of Lords Select Committee on Citizenship and Civic Participation’s 2018 Report in relation to the establishment of an advisory group to conduct a comprehensive review of the citizenship test.

Bell Ribeiro-Addy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment has she made of the potential merits of implementing recommendation 76 of the House of Lords Select Committee on Citizenship and Civic Participation’s 2018 Report on the establishment of an advisory group revise the book on Life in the UK.

Bell Ribeiro-Addy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment has she made of potential merits of implementing recommendation 77 of the House of Lords Select Committee on Citizenship and Civic Participation’s 2018 Report in relation to the establishment of an advisory group to review the citizenship test.

Kevin Foster: The Government believes those seeking to make a permanent home in the UK should be equipped to integrate successfully in UK society, with an appropriate level of English and an understanding of British life.By the time they apply for citizenship, all applicants are required to have passed the Life in the UK (LitUK) test and have an English language speaking and listening qualification in English at B1 or higher on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, or an equivalent level qualification.The life in the UK handbook is only available in English, but the test can also be taken in Welsh or Scots Gaelic, which are the only other languages specified in statute as requirements for naturalisation. There are no plans to change this to include other languages.Regular amendments are made to the LitUK handbook to ensure the content and related test questions remain factually accurate. The 2019 revision of the handbook made several amendments to update the handbook and clarify issues identified by the House of Lords Select Committee on Citizenship and Civic Participations and others.The Home Office works with the test provider to monitor test performance to ensure the test remains effective. The Home Office has made no specific assessment of the long-term effect the Life in the UK test has on promoting British values or improving integration.The Home Office is currently considering the case for reviewing the Life in the UK handbook. Any decision to commission a fourth edition of the handbook will be dependent on the outcome of a review of the current handbook.As set out in the ‘UK’s Points-Based Immigration System Further Details’ published on 13 July, we already recognise academic degrees which have been taught or researched in English as being sufficient proof of English ability at any level and will continue to do so in the future system. Applicants for immigration and citizenship can generally show their English language ability by passing a Secure English Language test, having a degree taught in English or being a national of a majority English speaking country. We continue to assess the merits of alternative methods of proof to ensure we have a robust system which guarantees migrants can speak, read, write and listen in English to the required level.

British Nationality: Assessments

Bell Ribeiro-Addy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Life in the UK Test refund (a) and (b) complaint forms her Department has received; and how many refund requests her Department has (a) received, (b) paid out in each month since March 2014.

Kevin Foster: Complaints and refund requests in relation to the Life in the UK test are handled by the provider of the test.The Life in the UK test providers have received 3,785 complaints since 1 March 2014. This accounts for 0.38% of the total tests carried out during this period.Refund request data is not available prior to September 2014. For the period between 1 September and 30 June, 3,720 refund requests were received, of which 2,966 were accepted and refunds given.A total of 3,059 refunds have been paid out since 1 March 2014. This figure is correct as of 30 June 2020. A breakdown by month is as follows:MonthRefundsMar-142Apr-1424May-1434Jun-148Jul-1414Aug-1411Sep-143Oct-1411Nov-148Dec-144Jan-1526Feb-156Mar-1522Apr-158May-1533Jun-1525Jul-1524Aug-1526Sep-1534Oct-1526Nov-1560Dec-1513Jan-1612Feb-1619Mar-1612Apr-1623May-1614Jun-1632Jul-1630Aug-1651Sep-1656Oct-1646Nov-1649Dec-163Jan-178Feb-176Mar-1711Apr-177May-1710Jun-179Jul-1713Aug-179Sep-177Oct-1712Nov-1710Dec-178Jan-188Feb-1814Mar-1853Apr-1816May-1820Jun-1819Jul-1829Aug-1817Sep-1820Oct-1840Nov-1856Dec-1832Jan-1949Feb-1974Mar-19200Apr-19405May-19320Jun-19278Jul-19260Aug-19132Sep-1942Oct-1913Nov-197Dec-1910Jan-2019Feb-2016Mar-2012Apr-207May-205

British Nationality: Assessments

Bell Ribeiro-Addy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much has been paid out by her Department in refund requests after people submitted a Life in the UK Test: refund request or complaint form each month since March 2014.

Kevin Foster: As a result of customer complaints and refund requests, a total of £150,966 was refunded by the Life in the UK test providers (currently PSI Services (UK) Ltd; previously Learn Direct) between 1st March 2014 and 30th June 2020.

British Citizenship

Bell Ribeiro-Addy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to issue guidance to caseworkers considering applications for British citizenship on not refusing an application in the event that a genuine mistake is made by an applicant on a form.

Kevin Foster: Applications for British citizenship are considered based on all the information available, taking into account any information and documents provided by the applicant. The information provide on the form is checked against documentation and Home Office records.There is a reconsideration process available if an applicant inadvertently provided incorrect information which affected the decision to grant British citizenship.

Naturalisation

Bell Ribeiro-Addy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment has she made of the potential merits of implementing recommendation 78 of the House of Lords Select Committee on Citizenship and Civic Participation’s 2018 Report in relation to the fee set for people applying for naturalisation.

Kevin Foster: In line with the charging principles set out in the 2014 Immigration Act, fees for immigration and nationality services are set in consideration of the cost of processing the application, the wider cost of running the Border Immigration and Citizenship System (BICS) and the benefits and entitlements provided to successful applicants. Any income from fees set above the cost of processing is utilised for supporting the wider BICS and reducing the reliance on taxpayer funding. Applying for British Citizenship is not mandatory and many individuals who have Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) in the UK choose not to do so. This is because becoming a British citizen is not necessary to enable individuals to live, study and work in the UK as a grant of indefinite leave to remain willconfer access to appropriate services. The Home Office keeps fees under review.

Pets: Theft

Tom Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the effect of the lack of a specific offence of pet theft on (a) the police's ability to record pet theft and (b) the incentives for the police to investigate pet theft with regard to the severity of sentences upon successful prosecution.

Tom Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department has taken to tackle increased instances of pet theft during the covid-19 outbreak.

Kit Malthouse: The Government understands the distress caused by the theft of a pet, which is already a criminal offence under the Theft Act 1968 and carries a maximum penalty of 7 years’ imprisonment. We expect the police to record all such crimes reported to them so that they can determine how best to investigate

Overseas Students: Quarantine

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if the Government will exempt international students from the mandatory covid-19 quarantine period of two weeks.

Kevin Foster: The list of travellers exempt from quarantine can be found here Passengers arriving from exempt countries and territories no longer need to self-isolate when entering England from 10th July. If someone has travelled through a non-exempt country, they will still be required to self-isolate for the remainder of 14 days since they left that country. Travellers will need to self-isolate if they visited or made a transit stop in a country that is not on the list in the 14 days before they arrive in England. Public health remains our top priority, and we will not hesitate to remove countries and territories from the list if the health risks are seen to increase. Devolved administrations make their own decisions around the measures in place and so it is important for travellers to follow the measures in the country they arrive in.

Asylum: Housing

Stuart C McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the oral answer of the  Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department of 13 July 2020 on Covid-19: Support for Asylum Seekers, Official Report, column 678, what her timescale is for the urgent review and report back by officials looking into adequacy of accommodation for asylum seekers in Glasgow; and whether that report will be published.

Stuart C McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department,  with reference to the oral answer of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department of 13 July 2020 on Covid-19: Support for Asylum Seekers, Official Report, column 678, whether the review and report back by officials on the adequacy of housing for asylum seekers in Glasgow will include (a) interviews and (b) consultation with (i) affected asylum seekers, (ii) refugee agencies in the city, (iii) Glasgow City Council, (iv) Glasgow Health and Social Care Partnership, (v) the Asylum health bridging team, (vi) Mears Group and (vii) hotel staff.

Chris Philp: There is constant monitoring of accommodation providers and formal governance in place, including quarterly Strategic Review Management Boards and monthly Contract Management Groups. Throughout COVID-19 officials have spoken daily with the providers and continue to have formal meetings once a week.The accommodation provided is safe, habitable, fit for purpose and it is required to comply with the Decent Homes Standard in addition to standards outlined in relevant national or local housing legislation. If it is found that standards are not being met, appropriate action is taken to hold providers to account and resolve concerns.Anyone receiving asylum support can contact the Advice, Issue Reporting and Eligibility service, operated by Migrant Help. This is available 24-hours a day and I encourage people to use this to report any issue that will then be investigated.

Asylum: Housing

Stuart C McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when her Department will complete and publish the Safeguarding Framework for its asylum accommodation service and contract.

Stuart C McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans she has to introduce a Key Performance Indicator (KPI) on safeguarding and vulnerabilities in the asylum accommodation contracts and performance management.

Chris Philp: The safeguarding framework is a living document which is designed to develop and grow throughout the lifetime of the contracts. It is not a contract requirement but is designed to be an overarching set of principles which sit alongside the more formal contract requirements. There are no plans to publish it. The contracts are designed in a way that safeguarding elements are factored into several of the KPIs, a copy of the contract for Scotland can be found at https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/a569f254-af0a-4ec8-a6a1-6622baa435ab. There are no current plans to introduce a safeguarding KPI although we will keep this under review.

Migrant Workers: Shipping

Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the document entitled The UK’s Points-Based Immigration System - Further Details, published 13 July 2020, what steps she will take to prevent employers in the shipping industry from filling vacancies for seafarer occupations that require skills below level 3 of the Regulated Qualifications Framework with migrant workers on rates of pay below the National Living Wage.

Chris Philp: The further details statement published on 13 July sets out that employers must undergo checks to demonstrate they are a genuine business, are solvent, and that the roles they wish to recruit into are credible and meet the salary and skills requirements, before they can be granted a licence to sponsor Skilled Workers.We will conduct regular checks of PAYE records for all skilled workers to confirm they are being paid the correct salary, and take action where necessary.

Immigrants: Sleeping Rough

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the effect of No Recourse to Public Funds rules on levels of rough sleeping.

Chris Philp: The Home Office has published its policy equality statement on the impact of the No Recourse to Public Fund (NRPF) policy on migrants on the 10-year human rights route.  It can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/application-for-change-of-conditions-of-leave-to-allow-access-to-public-funds-if-your-circumstances-change.The NRPF policy is based on the principle that migrants coming to the UK are expected to maintain and support themselves and their families without posing a burden on the UK’s welfare system.  Access to benefits and other publicly funded services reflects the strength of a migrant’s connections to the UK and is normally linked to indefinite leave to remain.People on the 10-year human rights route can apply to have the condition lifted.  Other groups, such as refugees, are exempt from the condition. The Government has provided more than £3.7 billion in un-ringfenced funding to help councils to manage the additional costs of COVID-19, including supporting those who are homeless and sleeping rough.

Asylum: Coronavirus

Claire Hanna: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to limit the spread of covid-19 during the process of claiming asylum for asylum seekers in the UK.

Chris Philp: We take the wellbeing of asylum seekers extremely seriously. As part of our response to COVID-19, we have introduced regional intake units to allow asylum claims to be registered in a safe way that adheres to social distancing guidance and minimises travel. These are contingency measures put in place to allow asylum claims to be registered in a safe manner and ensure those that are at immediate risk of destitution can access support.Following guidance from Public Health England, Asylum Operations initially cancelled all face-to-face substantive asylum interviews. We are now in a position where we can ensure safe social distancing of our staff, customers and have started to issue invitations to interview using video conferencing in small numbers with an expectation that interview volumes will increase over the coming weeks, including those taking place face to face.Additional work is still be being taken forward to ensure we can make the best use of technology and increase flexibility and capacity in a way that enhances both the staff and customer experience. We remain committed to an interview process that allows all participants - applicants, representatives, interpreters and interviewers - to do so safely.Asylum Operations are continuing to make and serve decisions on cases where there is enough information to do so. We are continuing to review these on a case by case basis, ensuring those with significant safeguarding concerns or vulnerabilities are only served if appropriate to do so.

Asylum: Housing

Claire Hanna: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department have taken to prevent the spread of covid-19 in asylum seekers' accomodation.

Chris Philp: The Home Office has been working with a Public Health England embed during the current crisis and we have put in place a number of measures to support people in the asylum system who are affected by the COVID-19 outbreak, including working closely with providers to make sure the most vulnerable people within the system receive the support they need. In Initial Accommodation facilities, which tends to be hostel based, PHE Guidance recommends that separate rooms and segregation be provided for symptomatic people, or they should be moved to hotels. Our providers have configured their accommodation estate to meet this guidance.In Dispersed Accommodation, which is houses or homes of multiple occupancy accommodating small numbers, Service Users have been provided guidance to ensure they socially distance or self isolate in line with the advice provided to the general public. Additionally, services providers have enhanced their contact management and wraparound services to ensure access to medical care, food packages and other essential items.

Asylum: Housing

Stuart C McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the oral answer of the The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department of 13 July 2020 on Covid-19: Support for Asylum Seekers, Official Report, column 678, what the evidential basis was for her Department's conclusion that 109 people who might have been moved from the temporary serviced accommodation into the hotels were not moved as a consequence of vulnerability assessments; and what the criteria of those vulnerability assessments was.

Chris Philp: Prior to the moves into hotels Mears considered individuals’ health records and a meeting took place with each service user.Based on this, 102 (not 109 as stated in the question) service users were moved to alternative Mears accommodation, rather than hotels. All other service users were moved to hotels, where further health and welfare assessments were carried out, and some service users were subsequently moved to alternative dispersed accommodation.

Asylum: Contracts

Chris Stephens: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will publish the (a) dates and (b) redacted minutes of the meetings of the Home Office’s Safeguarding Board for the AASC /AIRE contracts, established in November 2019.

Chris Stephens: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the 3 July 2020 NAO report on the asylum accommodation and support contracts, whether her Department's safeguarding board has produced a safeguarding framework; and if she will make a statement.

Chris Philp: A safeguarding framework has been produced, which is supported by our service providers safeguarding documentation.The date and minutes of the Safeguarding Board will be published shortly.

Asylum: Housing

Chris Stephens: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have been classed as (a) having specific needs and (b) at risk under Annex G to Schedule 2 Statement of Requirements and with reference to the asylum accommodation contractors’ duties in paragraphs 1.2.1.3 to 1.2.16 of  Schedule 2 and paragraphs 1.2 to 1.3 of Schedule 25 to the asylum accommodation contracts.

Chris Philp: This information is not help in a reportable format and to provide it could only be done at a disproportionate cost.

Asylum: Glasgow

Chris Stephens: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many asylum seekers were in full board hotels in the UK on 30 June 2020; how many hotels are being used for that purpose; what the average length of stay is across those hotels; and by what date she plans to have that group out of the (a) six Mears Group hotels in Glasgow and (b) all other hotels.

Chris Philp: There were 4427 asylum seekers across 53 full board hotels in the UK on 30 June.The average length of stay is not available in a reportable format and to provide the information could only be done at disproportionate cost.We are working with the providers to programme the reduction of the number of people in supported accommodation in a controlled manner. Consideration will be given to the needs of service users whilst balancing the impact of increased accommodation pressures on local authorities. We intend to work collaboratively with local authorities as we transition out of lockdown.

Asylum: Glasgow

Chris Stephens: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to order a Home office investigation into (a) the circumstances and results of Mears Group’s decision to move 321 people from secure serviced apartments to hotels in Glasgow from 27 March 2020 and (b) the relationship between those decisions and the incidents at MacLays Hotels on 5 May 2020 and at Park Inn Hotel on 26 June 2020.

Chris Philp: We have been working closely with all our service providers throughout the Covid 19 crisis were satisfied that Mears moved service users from apartments to hotels to enable them to deliver their services and meet some of their contractual obligations, particularly around emergency repairs in light of movement restrictions, and so they could further assure themselves of access to meals, translation services, onsite support, controlled welfare and health support and deliver a more appropriate service in light of the health crisis.

Asylum: Coronavirus

Stuart C McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer on 14 July 2020 to Question 71801, what steps were taken prior to her decision to lift the pause on asylum support cessations and evictions to ensure that due regard was paid to the Public Sector Equality Duty.

Chris Philp: The temporary suspension of asylum support cessations remains in place whilst the review described to the Strategic Engagement Group on 24 June is underway.This review is being undertaken in accordance with our Public Sector Equality duties and includes careful discussion and planning with Public Health Agencies, Local Authorities, Other Government Departments and Stakeholders, which included members of the voluntary and community sector, on how support cessations should appropriately recommence

Visas

Stuart C McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Written Statement of 23 July 2019, Official Report, HCWS1803, on Immigration, stating that her Department accepted that the Migration Advisory Committee's recommendation to pilot such a visa was worth pursuing and that further details would follow, for what reasons the Answer of 14 July 2020 to Question 71803 stated that her Department has not had plans to pilot a remote areas visa scheme; and if she will make a statement.

Kevin Foster: Whatever position the previous Government may have taken, this Government has never had plans to pilot a remote area visa scheme. Instead this Government will introduce a points-based immigration system which will benefit all parts of the United Kingdom.

Social Security Benefits: Glasgow Central

Alison Thewliss: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people in Glasgow Central are designated as having no recourse to public funds.

Chris Philp: The information you have requested is not held by the department.The department has written to the UKSA with regard to the matter of data on no recourse to public funds. Please see the link below: https://www.statisticsauthority.gov.uk/correspondence/response-from-daniel-shaw-to-ed-humpherson-parliamentary-question-response/. There is no requirement for migrants with valid leave to enter or remain in the UK to maintain contact with the Home Office during their stay, or to provide updates to their address details. This information would be required to undertake any area-based assessment.We are continuing to investigate whether the administrative data held by the department can provide any meaningful data in future and will provide an update in due course.

Airguns: Regulation

Karin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 12 February to Question 12342 on Airguns: Regulation, for what reason her Department has not published its response to the air weapons review that closed in February 2018.

Kit Malthouse: We intend to publish our conclusions relating to the outcome of the review of air weapons regulations alongside a consultation on firearms safety issues, to which we committed during the passage of the Offensive Weapons Act. Preparations for that consultation are currently ongoing and it will be published later this year

Asylum: Housing

Karen Bradley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what support is provided to potential victims of human trafficking who are also asylum seekers in section 98 accommodation awaiting their decision.

Victoria Atkins: The Government is committed to ensuring the support of potential and confirmed victims of modern slavery.Section 98 asylum accommodation provides temporary, generally full board accommodation. This provides in-kind support provisions to meet the individual’s essential living needs.Individuals with a positive reasonable grounds decision and have consented to Victim Care Contract (VCC) support, who are also asylum seekers in section 98 accommodation will receive essential support services from a VCC support worker who can provide specialist support and advocacy services to help assist victims to rebuild their lives.

Amazon Web Services: Contracts

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department made of the effect on security of the four-year contract awarded to Amazon Web Services in December 2019.

James Brokenshire: The four-year contract awarded to Amazon Web Services in December 2019 is based on the Crown Commercial Service G-Cloud 11 Framework Agreement (RM1557.11) call-off terms and conditions, together with the supplier’s terms and conditions applicable to the ordered services.The Home Office has now published a redacted version of the contract available on contracts finder and it can be found here:https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/6936638d-c785-4d8d-b7ef-76dcdd801bd6?origin=SearchResults&p=1 The contract utilises standard Crown Commercial Service G-Cloud Terms and Conditions on Security which can be found in Part B – Terms and Conditions, Section 16. These terms can be found either in the published contract or via the CCS website - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/g-cloud-11-call-off-contractOfficials are unable to define what is meant by ‘the effects on security’. However, security is assessed through internal Home Office governance on individual services and products provided by the supplier as and when they are utilised by the Home Office, not on the AWS platform as a whole.AWS also have the appropriate accreditations for the services they provide to Home Office and a full list has been provided to us as a buyer under a non-disclosure agreement. A list of publicly available compliances resources, including security compliance, is proved by Amazon Web Services online. https://aws.amazon.com/compliance/resources/I can confirm that these documents provided highlight how Amazon Web Services complies with the following accreditations, amongst others:UK Cyber Essentials & Cyber Essentials+ISO27001ISO27017ISO27018

Department for International Development

Eswatini: Development Aid

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what discussions she has had with her (a) South African and (b) Eswatini counterpart on securing (i) affordable electricity for the nation of Eswatini and (ii) enabling children in Eswatini to access computers and the internet for learning.

James Duddridge: We are in regular contact with the governments of Eswatini and South Africa and the South African power generator, Eskom, on ways to promote renewable energy generation both to improve energy security and reduce costs. We are also working directly with the Southern African Power Pool to support regional policy planning and decision making that accelerates large-scale renewable energy deployment in southern Africa.

Developing Countries: Nutrition

David Mundell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will make it her policy to maintain the Government's commitments under the Nutrition for Growth global pledging moment after December 2020.

Wendy Morton: The UK has been a global leader on nutrition since 2013 and remains committed to address malnutrition, particularly as the indirect impacts of COVID-19 are set to increase malnutrition significantly in the poorest countries of the world. We are looking carefully at options for a new UK commitment post 2020 and will provide an update on our plans in due course.

Palestinians: Overseas Aid

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, with reference to the 2019-20 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between her Department and the Palestinian Authority, what assessment her Department made in 2019-20 of the compliance of the Palestinian Authority with the commitments in that MOU; and what representations her Department has made to the Palestinian Authority on compliance with that MOU.

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, with reference to the 2018-19 Memorandum of Understanding between her Department and the Palestinian Authority, what assessment her Department made in 2018-19 of whether there had been any breach by the Palestinian Authority of the commitments set out in the MoU; and what discussions her Department had with the Authority on the importance of transparency and compliance with those commitments.

James Cleverly: Our partnership with the Palestinian Authority (PA) is underpinned by a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and DFID’s ‘partnership principles’. We have an active dialogue with the PA on the issues identified through these channels and we assess that the PA continues to demonstrate a credible commitment to our agreements and the ‘partnership principles’.

Iraq: Coronavirus

Jack Lopresti: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if her Department will urgently make an assessment of the potential merits of increasing the level of bilateral overseas development aid to the Kurdistan Region in Iraq to help tackle a potential second wave of covid-19 infections in that region.

James Cleverly: The UK is supporting Iraq as it responds to the coronavirus outbreak. We have committed £16.9 million of funding to help combat coronavirus in Iraq, including in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. This is helping to provide hospitals and primary care clinics with clean water, medication, soap and equipment. We are working closely with UN and INGO partners to help Iraq manage the pandemic whilst continuing to meet the needs of the most vulnerable, including displaced people.Since 2014, the UK has committed over £272 million in humanitarian support, and £110 million towards stabilisation efforts in Iraq, helping those who are most urgently in need following the conflict with Daesh.

Developing Countries: Coronavirus

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to support the economic recovery of developing countries affected by the covid-19 pandemic.

Wendy Morton: We are working though International Financial Institutions and our bilateral programmes to help developing countries access affordable financing and advisory assistance to respond to the crisis. In doing so, we are supporting a clean, inclusive and resilient economic recovery and urgently establishing safety nets, to protect the most vulnerable.The UK has doubled its £2.2 billion loan to the Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust, which provides concessional financing for the poorest countries. With UK support, multilateral development banks are making over $200 billion of financing available to governments over 15 months.The UK and other G20 countries, has suspended debt service payments to the poorest countries until the end of 2020. We have contributed up to £150 million to the IMF’s Catastrophe Containment and Relief Trust to help developing countries meet their debt repayments. These initiatives will enable countries to use their resources to respond to the crisis.DFID currently has social protection programmes in more than 25 countries that support people who are vulnerable to the economic impacts of COVID-19.

Scotland Office

Scots Gaelic Language

Sir Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what steps he is taking to help protect the Gaelic language in Scotland; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Alister Jack: Under the Gaelic Language (Scotland) Act 2005, the preservation and protection of the Scottish Gaelic language is a devolved matter. The Scottish Government published their second Gaelic language plan in 2016 (for 2016-2021) which outlines their commitment to support the use of the language in its operations and also how to support other public services to fulfil their own commitments to Gaelic. The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) works to support minority languages through its work on the creative industries strand of the British Irish Council. This includes working with the devolved administrations to support minority languages, share best practice, and nurture more diverse UK audiences, including through minority language publications. DCMS officials also work with MG Alba (Gaelic Media Scotland who jointly own BBC Alba with the BBC) on a number of different issues to support the Gaelic language.

Scots Gaelic Language

Sir Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what estimate he has made of the number of Gaelic speakers in Scotland in each of the last 10 years.

Mr Alister Jack: Under the Gaelic Language (Scotland) Act 2005, the preservation of the Scottish Gaelic language is a devolved matter. As outlined within the Scottish Government’s Gaelic language plan (2016-2021) results from the 2011 Census have shown that the decline in the number of Gaelic speakers has slowed since 2001. However, the most recent research from the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) Language Sciences Institute has suggested a steady decline in the use of the Gaelic language especially by those under 50 years of age. Gaelic is a vital part of Scotland's cultural identity and I would encourage the Scottish Government to identify urgent steps to support the preservation of the language.

Cabinet Office

Cabinet Office: Renewable Energy

Sir Edward Davey: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how much energy from renewable energy sources has been produced from his departmental buildings in each of the last five years.

Sir Edward Davey: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many of his Department's buildings have a Display Energy Certificate rating; and what that rating is for each of those buildings.

Sir Edward Davey: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether all of his Department's buildings are purchasing energy through a renewable energy tariff.

Sir Edward Davey: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how much carbon has been produced by his Department’s activities in each of the last five years.

Sir Edward Davey: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how much his Department has spent on energy conservation measures for its buildings in each of the last four years.

Sir Edward Davey: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many of his Department's buildings have had their Display Energy Certificate rating improve in each of the last five years.

Sir Edward Davey: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many of his Department's redundant buildings have been converted into housing in each of the last five years; and what proportion of those conversions were made into affordable housing.

Julia Lopez: No energy from renewable sources has been produced from these buildings, but the Cabinet Office electricity provider is one of the UK’s leading renewable energy companies, owning 35 wind farms – including two offshore wind farms – and one of the largest operational battery storage units in Europe.All Department’s buildings have a DEC Certificate - ranging from G to C ratings.Energy for these buildings has not been purchased through a renewable energy tariff although there will be a significant proportion of renewable energy in the supply. All departments are mandated to purchase their energy via the CCS framework.Information on carbon produced by all Government Departments is included in the Greening Government Commitment Annual Reports.A number of projects carried out at each site have included energy efficiency elements such as the installation of new or upgraded boilers, BMS and lighting but these typically form part of wider lifecycle upgrade or refurbishment projects. Costs specifically related to the energy efficiency element are not recorded separately or held centrally in the form requested.The Display Energy Certificate rating has improved in each of the last 5 years for 2 out of 5 buildings.No buildings that we manage have been converted to housing.

Cabinet Office: Carers

Sir Edward Davey: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will place a copy in the Library of his Department's guidance on the benefits available to staff in his Department who are carers.

Julia Lopez: Support for those staff who are carers is managed through the Carers Passport. I will place a copy in the Library to assist the Rt. Hon. Member, and more information can be found on gov.uk.

Care Homes: Birmingham

Tahir Ali: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many deaths occurred in care homes in Birmingham, Hall Green in each month in 2019.

Tahir Ali: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many deaths have occurred in care homes in Birmingham, Hall Green in each month of 2020.

Chloe Smith: The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. I have therefore asked the Authority to respond.



UKSA response
(PDF Document, 75.25 KB)

Census: Coronavirus

John Spellar: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the effect of the covid-19 outbreak on the organisation of the Census.

Chloe Smith: The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. I have therefore asked the Authority to respond.Please note that the UK Statistics Authority is responsible for delivering the Census in England and Wales. The National Records for Scotland and the Scottish Government are responsible for the Scottish Census, and NISRA cover the Census in Northern Ireland.



UKSA response
(PDF Document, 110.33 KB)

British National (Overseas): Hong Kong

Paul Girvan: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether Hong Kong British Nationals Overseas who move to the UK will be eligible to vote in (a) local, (b) regional and (c) national elections.

Chloe Smith: Hong Kong British Nationals (Overseas) with leave to enter or remain in the UK are entitled to register to vote as an elector in UK parliamentary elections, or local elections in England and Northern Ireland, providing they fulfil the age and residence requirements for such registration and are not subject to any other legal incapacity.The Scottish and Welsh Governments are responsible for the franchise for local elections in Scotland and Wales, as well as elections to the Scottish and Welsh Parliaments.

Civil Servants: Location

Royston Smith: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what progress has been made on implementing the Places for Growth programme.

Royston Smith: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Places for Growth Programme in assessing the potential for relocating government offices to Southampton.

Chris Loder: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of moving some of the civil service functions to West Dorset constituency.

Julia Lopez: As the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster set out in his Ditchley Speech, the Government is determined to ensure the Civil Service is better distributed across the country. The Places for Growth Programme is working with departments and public bodies to firm up relocation plans and further details will be announced in due course. The Places for Growth programme is exploring opportunities across the whole of the UK.

Cabinet Office: Apprentices

Robert Halfon: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps his Department is taking to meet the public sector apprenticeship target.

Julia Lopez: The Cabinet Office supports the use of apprenticeships as a means of building expertise, filling skills gaps and improving the diversity of our talent pool. The Department is in the final year of a three-year action plan to increase the number of apprenticeships in the Department. We run regular recruitment campaigns for apprentices.

Brexit

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to his oral statement on 13 July 2020, Official Report, column 1271, on what date was that legal advice presented to his Department.

Penny Mordaunt: In keeping with long-standing convention and practice, details of legal advice are not disclosed.

UK Trade with EU

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many potential locations for physical customs inspection sites his Department has identified; what consultation his Department has undertaken with local on those sites; and whether he plans to publish the research undertaken to determine the location of those sites.

Penny Mordaunt: Further to the statement by my RHF the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster on 13 July 2020, the Government will make further announcements in the usual way.

UK Trade with EU

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to The Border with the European Union: Importing and Exporting Goods, published 13 July 2020, how much advance notice will be provided to traders to allow them to prepare accordingly for the additional Border Control Posts.

Penny Mordaunt: The UK transition period will end on 31 December 2020. The Government's new public information campaign, The UK’s new start: Let’s get going, sets out the actions required by businesses (including traders) and individuals to prepare for the end of the UK transition, including processes related to moving goods through Border Control Posts. Further details are available at gov.uk/transition.

UK Trade with EU

Hywel Williams: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the policy paper entitled, The Border Operating Model Border, published on 13 July 2020, whether Smart Freight Service would be required  for vehicles travelling from Welsh ports to (a) the Republic of Ireland and (b) via the Republic of Ireland to Northern Ireland.

Hywel Williams: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the policy paper entitled, The Border Operating Model Border, published on 13 July 2020, whether the use of the Smart Freight System will apply in Wales; and what consultation it has had with (a) the Welsh Government and (b) businesses in Wales on the Smart Freight System.

Penny Mordaunt: The use of the Smart Freight Service will be recommended but not compulsory in respect of the movement of goods between Welsh ports and the Republic of Ireland, and will not apply to the movement of goods between Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The Government has invited businesses, including businesses in Wales, to participate in user testing for the Smart Freight Service, and continues to engage with the Welsh Government regarding preparations for the end of the Transition Period.

Treasury

Housing: Construction

Sarah Olney: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he has made an assessment of the potential merits of reducing VAT on residential extensions and alterations to support the construction sector.

Jesse Norman: Consumers already benefit from a reduced VAT rate of 5 per cent on residential construction under certain conditions. This includes conversions of buildings from one use to another, and the renovation of properties that have been empty for two years or more prior to the renovation work. Going further would be very expensive: reducing VAT on all property renovation, repairs and improvements would cost the Exchequer approximately £6 billion per year. Although all taxes are kept under review, the Government has no plans to review the VAT treatment of construction at this time.

Tourist Attractions: VAT

Stephen Farry: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the announcement of a temporary reduction of VAT to five per cent on admission to certain attractions, if he will provide further clarification on what those attractions are.

Jesse Norman: Admissions to shows, theatres, circuses, fairs, amusement parks, concerts, museums, zoos, cinemas and exhibitions and similar cultural events and facilities will be covered by the new reduced rate of VAT for attractions. This is set out in guidance on VAT on admission charges to attractions published on GOV.UK. Further detail about the application of the new reduced rate can be found in Revenue and Customs guidance on the temporary reduced rate of VAT for hospitality, holiday accommodation and attractions, also published on GOV.UK.

Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will extend the furlough scheme for (a) the exhibition and conference sector and (b) other sectors which require long lead-in times to re-establish operations.

Jesse Norman: The Chancellor of the Exchequer has said there will be no further extensions or changes to the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS).After eight months of the CJRS, the scheme will close at the end of October. The introduction of flexible furloughing further ensures that firms can adjust how they furlough to match their speed of reopening. Firms will be able to claim flexibly under the CJRS until October. It would be challenging to target the CJRS to specific sectors in a fair and deliverable way, and it may not be the case that this is the most effective or sensible way to provide longer term support for those sectors who may not yet be reopening. The Government will continue to engage with businesses and sectors with the aim of ensuring that the support provided is right for those sectors and for the economy as a whole.

Redundancy

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans his Department has to introduce a tax and National Insurance holiday for people receiving the notice period of pay after being made redundant.

Jesse Norman: Payments made in lieu of notice are treated as taxable earnings. All employees will pay income tax and Class 1 NICs on the amount of basic pay that they would have received if they had worked their notice in full. Termination payments such as redundancy payments are subject to a £30,000 income tax exemption. Individuals do not pay National Insurance contributions on termination payments, even if the value exceeds £30,000. This is one of the most generous regimes in the world and means that the majority of individuals receiving termination payments will pay no tax at all.

Small Businesses: Coronavirus

Dr Lisa Cameron: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he has made an assessment of the effect of VAT regulations on the financial sustainability of small businesses that have been affected by the covid-19 outbreak.

Jesse Norman: All eligible businesses in the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors will pay no business rates in England for 12 months from 1 April 2020, and the Government deferred Value Added Tax (VAT) payments so UK VAT registered businesses did not need to pay any VAT due with VAT returns from 20 March through to the end of June 2020, until 31 March 2021.HMRC’s Time to Pay service is available to all businesses needing support with tax payments. Statistics on the use of the VAT deferral are available online: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmrc-coronavirus-covid-19-statistics

Self-employed: Coronavirus

Dr Lisa Cameron: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he has made an assessment of the potential merits of enabling newly self-employed people who do not qualify for the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme to submit (a) copies of invoices and verification for services or products and (b) copies of business bank accounts to HMRC to verify payments.

Jesse Norman: It has not been possible to include those who began trading after the 2018-19 tax year in the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme. This was a very difficult decision and it was taken for practical reasons. In order to minimise the risk of fraud, the SEISS has been designed to use information already known to HMRC. HMRC would not be able to distinguish genuine self-employed individuals who started trading in 2019-20 from fake applications by fraudulent operators and organised criminal gangs seeking to exploit the SEISS. The Government cannot expose the tax system to these risks. The newly self-employed may be eligible for other elements of the unprecedented financial support provided by the Government. This package includes Bounce Back loans, tax deferrals, rental support, increased levels of Universal Credit, mortgage holidays, and other business support grants.

Stamp Duty Land Tax

Alberto Costa: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if his Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of backdating the temporary reduction in Stamp Duty Land Tax to 1 July 2020.

Jesse Norman: To boost the housing market and confidence, the Government has decided to cut Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) by temporarily increasing the nil band rate of SDLT to £500,000. This applies from 8 July 2020 to 31 March 2021 and will not be backdatedProperty sales which have exchanged but not yet completed will still be eligible to take advantage of the Stamp Duty holiday.

Stamp Duties

Sarah Olney: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether eligibility for the increase in the stamp duty threshold (a) is extended to UK residents only and (b) includes overseas property investors.

Jesse Norman: The temporary increase in the nil rate band of residential SDLT from £125,000 to £500,000 will apply to all purchases of residential property in England and Northern Ireland, regardless of the residence status of the purchaser.

Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme

Martyn Day: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits under the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme of supporting beyond October 2020 people (a) who have been advised by their doctor to stay at home and (b) whose workplace is not covid-19-safe.

Jesse Norman: After eight months of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS), the scheme will close in October 2020. The CJRS must be temporary and the Government must ensure that people can get back to work when it is safe to do so and get the UK economy up and running again. As the economy re-opens, the Government must look at how to adjust support in a way that ensures people can get back to work, protecting both the UK economy and livelihoods. From 1 August the Government will further relax advice to the Clinically Extremely Vulnerable, bringing it in line with the advice to those who are clinically vulnerable. In broad terms, this means that although the advice is still to stay at home as much as possible, those shielding may wish to go out to more places and see more people, as long as they take particular care to minimise contact with others outside their household and follow hygiene measures. This means that if they are unable to work from home but can work on site, they should do so, provided the business is COVID-safe. If employers cannot provide a safe working environment, the Clinically Extremely Vulnerable will continue to have access to an unprecedented package of financial support. This support is not limited to the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, but also includes the Self Employment Income Support Scheme and an increase in the generosity of welfare payments worth a further £8bn.

Inheritance Tax

Alex Sobel: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he plans to review the residence nil-rate band policy for inheritance of property.

Jesse Norman: From April 2020, the nil-rate band and residence nil-rate band thresholds allow up to £1m of assets for a qualifying married couple or civil partnership to be passed on before any inheritance tax is paid. As a result, in 2020-21, 96% of all estates are forecast to be able to pass on their assets without an inheritance tax liability.

Housing Improvement and Stamp Duties

Stuart Anderson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he plans to (a) backdate the stamp duty holiday for people who have recently purchased a property and (b) provide financial support to people who have recently moved home with reduced disposable income to spend on renovations.

Jesse Norman: To boost the housing market and confidence, the Government has decided to cut Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) by temporarily increasing the nil band rate of SDLT to £500,000. This applies from 8 July 2020 to 31 March 2021 and will not be backdated. Property sales which have exchanged but not yet completed will still be eligible to take advantage of the Stamp Duty holiday. The Government has also confirmed a range of other housing announcements, including a new £2bn ‘Green Homes Grant’ for homeowners and landlords.

Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme: Arts

Tahir Ali: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he plans to exempt arts institutions that are unable to operate from contributing to the cost of furloughing their staff in August 2020.

Jesse Norman: The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme will remain open until October. The Government understands that different employers and sectors will face different challenges in getting up and running again. However, it is not feasible to vary the approach on contributions for individual employers. It is the case that some organisations will be affected by coronavirus for longer than others, and the Government will seek to support these organisations appropriately. On 5 July the Government announced a £1.57bn package to support thousands of vital cultural organisations during the COVID-19 pandemic. This funding will provide targeted support to organisations across a range of sectors, including performing arts and theatres, museums and galleries, heritage sites, live music venues and independent cinema, in order to protect cultural organisations of international, national and regional importance.

Customs: Northern Ireland

Louise Haigh: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether HMRC have made an assessment of the likelihood of the technology needed for new customs and regulatory processes between Great Britain and Northern Ireland being in place by the end of the transition period.

Jesse Norman: HMRC are committed to having IT systems in place to facilitate the flow of trade between Great Britain and Northern Ireland. This will include ensuring that information for both fiscal and regulatory purposes can be received and processed electronically.

Import Duties: Northern Ireland

Louise Haigh: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to paragraph 25 on page 11 of the document entitled, The UK's Approach to the Northern Ireland Protocol, what assessment HMRC has made of how a genuine and substantial risk will be determined; and what estimate HMRC has made of the proportion of goods which will be charged a tariff under this definition.

Jesse Norman: As the Government said in the Command Paper published on 20 May, there should be no tariffs on goods remaining within the UK customs territory. Only those goods ultimately entering Ireland or the rest of the EU, or at clear and substantial risk of doing so, will face tariffs. This principle needs to be formalised with the EU within the Withdrawal Agreement Joint Committee.

Government Securities: Environment Protection

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of issuing green gilts.

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to encourage companies to invest in (a) green bonds and (b) other climate friendly financial schemes.

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent discussions he has had with his counterparts in (a) France, (b) Poland, and (c) the Netherlands on the issuing of green gilts.

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to support UK investors who want to provide long-term funding for socially and environmentally beneficial projects in the (a) public and (b) private sectors.

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to raise revenue from the selling of green gilts to fund private sector environmental initiatives with much longer time horizons than would usually be supported by the equity markets.

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to use green gilts to help the Government achieve net zero by providing the capital for (a) roadside charging infrastructure, (b) renewable energy and (c) retrofitting homes with efficient appliances.

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of issuing green gilts in the UK.

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will take steps to promote green gilts and to raise awareness of their similarities to conventional bonds in order to increase investor confidence.

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans he has to close the gap between the sterling denominated green debt and the amount of global green debt issued by foreign governments.

John Glen: The government has been carefully considering the potential issuance of a UK sovereign green bond and will keep this under review. In considering new policy, the government engages with a range of stakeholders, including foreign governments, in order to be fully informed of different viewpoints. The government published its Green Finance Strategy last year, which includes the ambition to align private sector financial flows with clean, environmentally sustainable and resilient growth, and strengthen the competitiveness of the UK financial sector. The government continues to support the financial services sector and firms in their capability, competitiveness and the transition to net zero, including through the recently launched Green Finance Education Charter and work with the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures.

Customs Declaration Services Programme

Louise Haigh: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the number of individual customs declarations the CHIEF system can process in each of the next five years.

Jesse Norman: To meet the required volume of customs declarations expected after the end of the transition period, HMRC has scaled CHIEF as part of ‘No Deal’ planning to 300m declarations per annum. Dual running CDS for the Northern Ireland Protocol alongside CHIEF provides the full volumetric capacity required for future years. Moving to a single customs platform is part of the longer-term strategy for HMRC’s future border ambition.

Customs

Louise Haigh: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the policy paper entitled, The Border Operating Model Border, published on 13 July 2020, what estimate has HMRC made of the number of traders that will make customs declarations for the first time under the new system.

Jesse Norman: In 2019 there were 149,000 VAT registered businesses trading in goods only with the EU. In addition, HMRC estimate that there are approximately 100,000 non-VAT registered businesses in the UK trading in goods with the EU; many of these traders will be making declarations for the first time after the transition period ends.

Customs Declaration Services Programme

Louise Haigh: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many and what proportion of customs declarations currently take place on the Customs Declaration Service.

Jesse Norman: The Government has been working with trade and industry partners to agree plans to utilise the Customs Declarations Service (CDS) to support implementation of the Northern Ireland Protocol. For Great Britain the plan is to use CHIEF for EU-GB declarations as it has been scaled as part of No Deal planning. As announced in the Command Paper, HMRC will soon set out more detailed plans to provide extensive support for businesses moving goods into Northern Ireland, including ensuring that they are ready and able to provide information through CDS.

Rugby: World Cup

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of a commemorative coin for the Rugby League World Cup due to be held in England in 2021.

John Glen: The merits of potential designs for UK coinage are assessed by the Royal Mint Advisory Committee, an independent committee who advise the Royal Mint and ultimately the Chancellor and HM The Queen on coin designs. The Royal Mint typically chooses to commemorate events, individuals or symbology that are of genuine national significance and not contentious. Typically, the process of producing a commemorative design for UK coinage takes 18 months, from initial discussions to the production of a coin. Further details on the Royal Mint advisory committee can be found at https://www.royalmintmuseum.org.uk/, alongside a form to contact the committee.

Mortgages: Coronavirus

Kate Osborne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent discussions he has had with representatives of the mortgage lending sector on easing the financial pressures faced by people paying double interest on their mortgage during covid-19 outbreak; and what plans he has to help those people switch to new mortgage lenders.

Kate Osborne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the effect of the modified affordability assessment on the number of mortgage prisoners unable to access new mortgages.

Kate Osborne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent discussions he has had with representatives of the mortgage lending sector on tackling the situation affecting mortgage prisoners.

John Glen: The Government remains committed to supporting these borrowers, which is why the Government and the FCA have taken action to remove the regulatory barriers that previously prevented switching. Lenders are currently making the necessary adjustments and system changes to enable them to use the modified affordability assessment for borrowers looking to re-mortgage. Due to the operational constraints caused by Covid-19 there was a temporary retraction of mortgage products in the market, therefore it would not have been of benefit to contact borrowers when meaningful options were not available to them. We expect lenders to start offering these borrowers switching options by the end of the year. Earlier this year I wrote to UK Finance outlining my expectation that as many of its members as possible should move quickly to offer new deals to borrowers that are eligible to switch under the new FCA rules. You can read the letter here:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/a-letter-from-john-glen-to-stephen-jones-on-mortgage-prisoners. The Government continues to work with the mortgage lending sector to ensure support is available for consumers. The FCA also recently noted that firms should be reviewing their variable rates to ensure they adhere to regulations regarding the fair treatment of consumers. The full statement can be found here: https://www.fca.org.uk/news/statements/statement-mortgage-prisoners

Gambling: Money Laundering

Wes Streeting: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions he has had with representatives of the gambling industry on tackling money laundering in that industry; and if he will make a statement.

John Glen: The UK’s anti-money laundering (AML) and counter-terrorist financing (CTF) supervisory regime is comprehensive, seeking to regulate and supervise those firms most at risk from money laundering and terrorist financing. In December 2018, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the global standard-setter for AML/CTF, found that the UK had one of the toughest systems for combatting money laundering and terrorist financing of any country it has assessed to date. The Gambling Commission is the supervisory authority for casinos under the Money Laundering Regulations (MLRs). The FATF Mutual Evaluation Report found that the Gambling Commission had a good understanding of the money laundering and terrorist financing risks in the gambling sector and applied a risk-based approach to supervision. The Gambling Commission supervises the casino sector and regulates the gambling industry as a whole. It conducts a yearly money laundering and terrorist financing risk assessment based on emerging and inherent risks in the gambling industry. This evaluation informs its supervisory and regulatory activity ensuring it is targeted, relevant and proportionate. In the reporting period of 6 April 2018 - 5 April 2019, the Gambling Commission issued financial penalties worth £17 million in total against its supervised population for cases that included AML/CTF failings. In his time as Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Chancellor has not had personal discussions with the Home Secretary, the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport or representatives of the gambling industry on money laundering, though there are regular official level engagements focussed on identifying these risks and demonstrating evidence of continued improvements in their effectiveness, as there are with all AML supervisors.

Gambling: Money Laundering

Wes Streeting: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions he has had with the (a) Home Secretary and (b) Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport on tackling money laundering in the gambling industry; and if he will make a statement.

John Glen: The UK’s anti-money laundering (AML) and counter-terrorist financing (CTF) supervisory regime is comprehensive, seeking to regulate and supervise those firms most at risk from money laundering and terrorist financing. In December 2018, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the global standard-setter for AML/CTF, found that the UK had one of the toughest systems for combatting money laundering and terrorist financing of any country it has assessed to date. The Gambling Commission is the supervisory authority for casinos under the Money Laundering Regulations (MLRs). The FATF Mutual Evaluation Report found that the Gambling Commission had a good understanding of the money laundering and terrorist financing risks in the gambling sector and applied a risk-based approach to supervision. The Gambling Commission supervises the casino sector and regulates the gambling industry as a whole. It conducts a yearly money laundering and terrorist financing risk assessment based on emerging and inherent risks in the gambling industry. This evaluation informs its supervisory and regulatory activity ensuring it is targeted, relevant and proportionate. In the reporting period of 6 April 2018 - 5 April 2019, the Gambling Commission issued financial penalties worth £17 million in total against its supervised population for cases that included AML/CTF failings. In his time as Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Chancellor has not had personal discussions with the Home Secretary, the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport or representatives of the gambling industry on money laundering, though there are regular official level engagements focussed on identifying these risks and demonstrating evidence of continued improvements in their effectiveness, as there are with all AML supervisors.

Gambling: Money Laundering

Wes Streeting: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions he has had with the Home Secretary and the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport on effective data sharing between gambling operators to tackle money laundering in the gambling industry; and if he will make a statement.

John Glen: The UK’s anti-money laundering (AML) and counter-terrorist financing (CTF) supervisory regime is comprehensive, seeking to regulate and supervise those firms most at risk from money laundering and terrorist financing. In December 2018, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the global standard-setter for AML/CTF, found that the UK had one of the toughest systems for combatting money laundering and terrorist financing of any country it has assessed to date. The Gambling Commission is the supervisory authority for casinos under the Money Laundering Regulations (MLRs). The FATF Mutual Evaluation Report found that the Gambling Commission had a good understanding of the money laundering and terrorist financing risks in the gambling sector and applied a risk-based approach to supervision. The Gambling Commission supervises the casino sector and regulates the gambling industry as a whole. It conducts a yearly money laundering and terrorist financing risk assessment based on emerging and inherent risks in the gambling industry. This evaluation informs its supervisory and regulatory activity ensuring it is targeted, relevant and proportionate. In the reporting period of 6 April 2018 - 5 April 2019, the Gambling Commission issued financial penalties worth £17 million in total against its supervised population for cases that included AML/CTF failings. In his time as Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Chancellor has not had personal discussions with the Home Secretary, the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport or representatives of the gambling industry on money laundering, though there are regular official level engagements focussed on identifying these risks and demonstrating evidence of continued improvements in their effectiveness, as there are with all AML supervisors.

Small Businesses: Non-domestic Rates

Dr Julian Lewis: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the eligibility criteria for business rates relief.

Jesse Norman: Eligibility for business rates relief is set out in the guidance on GOV.UK. In line with previous Governments, discussions in Cabinet are not revealed publicly.

Climate Change Levy

Wes Streeting: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, when he plans to publish the next edition of the Climate Change Levy and Carbon Price Floor bulletin.

Kemi Badenoch: The ongoing challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic have resulted in significant reductions in data availability impacting the production of Climate Change Levy (CCL) and Carbon Price Floor (CPF) statistics. Because of this, the publication of the Climate Change Levy (CCL) and Carbon Price Floor (CPF) Bulletin, which was scheduled for June 2020, was cancelled. If sufficient data becomes available to produce the publication ahead of the next planned date of December 2020, the Government will make a further announcement.

Food: Wholesale Trade

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made (a) for the implications for his policies of recent wholesale food data from the Federation of Wholesale Distributors and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and (b) of the potential merits of providing additional financial support to businesses within the wholesale sector to safeguard food supplies to public services.

Kemi Badenoch: The Government fully recognises the extreme disruption to people’s lives, jobs and businesses caused by the necessary actions taken to tackle COVID-19. It is for this reason that the Government has announced unprecedented levels of support for workers and businesses. Food and drink wholesalers, which have played a critical role in supporting the food supply chain throughout the past months, are eligible for a number of these schemes, including: The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme to help keep millions of people in employment;£10,000 cash grants for all business properties in receipt of Small Business Rates Relief and Rural Rates Relief;The Bounce Back Loan Scheme for small businesses to borrow between £2,000 to £50,000, with no interest payments or fees for the first 12 months; andThe Discretionary Grant Fund for small and micro businesses that are not eligible for other grant schemes. Food and drink wholesalers will also benefit from the Chancellor’s recent announcement of the Eat Out to Help Out Scheme which will encourage people to safely return to eating out at restaurants for sit-down meals.

Tax Rates and Bands

Wes Streeting: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether it is his policy to not raise the rates of (a) income tax, (b) National Insurance and (c) VAT during the 2019 Parliament.

Jesse Norman: The Government’s priority is to support people and businesses throughout this crisis. As the Chancellor has said, a new national collective effort has begun: to reopen the country and kickstart the economy. As part of this, the Treasury continues to keep all taxes under review, and the Chancellor will update Parliament on tax policy decisions at future budgets.

Pensions

Wes Streeting: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether it is his policy to maintain the triple lock on pensions.

Steve Barclay: The Government is committed to ensuring that older people are able to live with the dignity and respect they deserve. Since 2010, the State Pension has been uprated by the highest of average earnings growth, price inflation or 2.5% - an approach known as the Triple Lock. The value of the State Pension is £1,903.20 a year higher than it was in 2010. In total, the Government will spend around £100 billion on the State Pension, and close to £127 billion on overall benefits for pensioners in 2020-21. The Government provides support for older people, such as Winter Fuel Payments, free eye tests and NHS prescriptions, and free bus passes. The Government also provides Pension Credit for pensioners with low incomes. Pension Credit is an income-related benefit paid out of general taxation and targets help at the poorest pensioners who, for whatever reason, have been unable to save for their retirement. With regards to the future of the Triple Lock, as with all aspects of Government policy, any decisions on future changes will be taken as part of an annual Budget process in the context of the wider public finances.

UK Trade with EU

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the annual cost to UK businesses of complying with new customs rules required after the end of the transition period.

Jesse Norman: The latest published estimates are in the third edition impact assessment from December 2018, which are based on historic data. The estimates of the range are between £20-£56 for import declarations, and £15-£46 for export declarations, but the final costs of completing customs declarations will vary significantly from business to business depending on how often they trade, and how they choose to fulfil customers’ requirements; some will use an intermediary while others will do it themselves. Costs are likely to fall over time as businesses become more proficient in filling in customs declarations.

Wholesale Trade: Insolvency

Anne McLaughlin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made for the implications of his policies of  the data collected by the Federation of Wholesale Distributors on the risk to wholesale businesses of liquidation.

Kemi Badenoch: The Government fully recognises the extreme disruption to people’s lives, jobs and businesses caused by the necessary actions taken to tackle COVID-19. It is for this reason that the Government has announced unprecedented levels of support for workers and businesses. Food and drink wholesalers, which have played a critical role in supporting the food supply chain throughout the past months, are eligible for a number of these schemes, including:• The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme to help keep millions of people in employment; • £10,000 cash grants for all business properties in receipt of Small Business Rates Relief and Rural Rates Relief;• The Bounce Back Loan Scheme for small businesses to borrow between £2,000 to £50,000, with no interest payments or fees for the first 12 months; and• The Discretionary Grant Fund for small and micro businesses that are not eligible for other grant schemes.Food and drink wholesalers will also benefit from the Chancellor’s recent announcement of the Eat Out to Help Out Scheme which will encourage people to safely return to eating out at restaurants for sit-down meals.

Revenue and Customs: Ealing

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department has made an equality impact assessment of the proposed closure of the HMRC office at International House, Ealing.

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if his Department asked HMRC to make an assessment of the socio-economic effect of the closure of the HMRC office at International House, Ealing, as a result of the economic effect of the covid-19 outbreak on that locality.

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of home working throughout HMRC offices; and if he will make a statement.

Jesse Norman: HMRC’s Locations Programme conducts People and Equality Impact Assessments (PEIA) at a regional and national level; the latter is updated and published on GOV.UK annually. HMRC is in the process of refreshing the national PEIA published in July 2019. HMRC shared the regional PEIA for Stratford with staff in September 2019, which included impacts and mitigations relating to the workforce in Ealing. HMRC have recently carried out and published internally an Equality Impact Assessment on the implications of COVID-19 on HMRC staff across the department. Work to mitigate impacts is in progress. As is always the case, if there are ways in which HMRC can improve how they deliver their vital public services then they will seek to implement those improvements. This includes reviewing how HMRC have been able to respond to COVID-19 and determining whether and how they might be able to sustain any changes to ways of working that are proven to lead to better outcomes for both HMRC and taxpayers.

Import Duties

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the number of traders who qualify for a Duty Deferment Account.

Jesse Norman: On 17 July 2020, HMRC held 13,026 live Duty Deferment Accounts (DDAs).

UK Trade with EU

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Border Operating Model, published on 13 July 2020, what estimate he has made of the timescale for applying for a deferment account number.

Jesse Norman: HMRC are streamlining a number of their authorisation processes to make it quicker and easier for traders to use. New rules are being introduced to make it easier to access a Duty Deferment Account (DDA) at the end of the transition period. This means most businesses will be able to open DDAs without needing to provide a guarantee, unless they have a history of non-compliance or insolvency. Further detail on how these new rules will operate in practice will be provided in updated guidance in due course.

UK Trade with EU

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the number of traders who will need to obtain GB Economic Operator Registration and Identification numbers.

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what processes have been put in place to manage an increase in applications for Economic Operator Registration and Identification numbers.

Jesse Norman: As of 12 July 2020, 241,018 businesses have registered for a UK EORI number since December 2018, including both VAT and non-VAT-registered businesses. This includes traders who were automatically issued a number. Over 700,000 UK EORI numbers have been issued in total. Businesses who have yet to register can do so online. It is a simple process that only takes 10 minutes.

UK Trade with EU

Nick Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Minister for the Cabinet Office's oral statement of 13 July 2020, Official Report, column 1268, on EU Exit: End of Transition Period, how much has been spent on developing HMRC border trading systems as at 16 July 2020; and what estimate his Department has made of the future cost for that development.

Jesse Norman: HMRC’s spending on EU Exit and Transition in 2017/18 was £46.8m, and in 2018/19 was £261.7m. HMRC’s spending in 2019/20 will be confirmed with the publication of their annual accounts in October.Funding for the systems to meet the requirements of the end of the transition period is included within HMRC’s EU transition budget allocation.Previous year figures include the Border and Protocol Delivery Group (BPDG), which was located with HMRC.HMRC funding for 2020/21, excluding BPDG who have now moved to the Cabinet Office, consists of the £357m at Main Estimate with the addition of £50m for intermediaries support, £69m agreed by HMT, and £185m announced by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, for border readiness. HMRC remain in regular contact with HMT to ensure that HMRC are resourced sufficiently to carry out requirements.Future costs will be subject to the forthcoming comprehensive spending review.

UK Trade with EU

Nick Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Minister for the Cabinet Office's 12 July 2020 news story entitled Government accelerates border planning for the end of the Transition Period, what improvements are required to HMRC border systems; and what his timeframe is for their (a) development and (b) completion.

Nick Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Minister for the Cabinet Office's 12 July 2020 news story entitled Government accelerates border planning for the end of the Transition Period, whether his Department and HMRC plan to test border systems with industry representatives before the end of the transition period.

Jesse Norman: HMRC are making changes to ensure that border systems have the capacity and functionality to process anticipated volumes of declarations by the end of the Transition Period. HMRC’s delivery for December 2020 requires the scaling of key IT systems, integration with other Government department systems, and trader and border industry readiness to comply with new requirements. HMRC also need to develop new functionality and processes to implement the Northern Ireland Protocol and get traders, and the wider border industry, ready to use them. HMRC’s plans are on track to meet the requirements of the Northern Ireland Protocol at the end of December 2020 and the staging in of customs controls by July 2021. HMRC have clear plans to develop delivery plans with carriers and operators, accommodating technical build and testing activity in line with their individual plans to December. Technical discussions with carriers and operators to supplement this testing are in progress and will continue through to 31 December 2020. HMRC are also working with Community System Providers (CSPs), Software Developers (SWDs) and the wider border industry to ensure they are aware of and can prepare for border arrangements. HMRC are also undertaking calls with stakeholder groups following the publication of the Border Operating Model on 12 July.

Bank Services: Foreign Nationals

Dan Carden: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many accounts in UK financial institutions have been held by non-residents in each country of residence; what the (a) total and (b) median (i) value has been of those accounts and (ii) income has been of those account holders; and what the value has been of accounts held by (A) natural persons and (B) entities in each year since 2013.

Dan Carden: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many (a) active and (b) passive entity account holders there have been with accounts in UK financial institutions in each year since 2013.

Dan Carden: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the value has been of passive entity accounts in UK financial institutions in each category of country of residence of beneficial owner in each year since 2013.

Dan Carden: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the value has been of accounts held by non-resident account holders in UK (a) depository institutions, (b) custodial institutions, (c) investment entity type a and b and (d) insurance companies in each year since 2013.

Dan Carden: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many accounts in UK financial institutions are undocumented accounts.

John Glen: The information requested is not held by HM Treasury.

Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme

Alex Norris: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, will he extend the furlough scheme to people that are clinically vulnerable to covid-19 and shielding but have not used that scheme and are unable to return to work on 1 August 2020.

Jesse Norman: On 22 June, the Prime Minister announced that the Government will relax the current public health guidance for those identified as Clinically Extremely Vulnerable (CEV) to shield at home. This means from 1 August they will be able to return to work if they are unable to work from home, provided their workplace is COVID-safe. It is important that this group continue to take careful precautions, and employers should do all they can to enable them to work from home where this is possible, including moving them to another role if required. Where this is not possible, the CEV should be provided with the safest on-site roles that enable them to maintain social distancing from others. If employers cannot provide a safe working environment, the CEV will continue to have access to an unprecedented package of financial support. This is not limited to the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, but also includes the introduction of the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme and an increase in the generosity of welfare payments worth a further £9.3bn according to Office for Budget Responsibility estimates.

Revenue and Customs: Buildings

Chris Stephens: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the current lease arrangements are for HMRC Regional Centres throughout the UK; what the (a) duration and (b) end date is of each those leases; and which of  those leases contain break clauses.

Chris Stephens: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will publish the results of the equality impact assessments that were carried out in relation to the HMRC redundancy programme.

Jesse Norman: HMRC’s Regional Centres will have leases of 25 years’ duration with most containing breaks at 20 years; all include the ability to assign or sublet should the need arise. End dates depend on when each one starts, which varies according to individual site construction and fit-out programmes and when they are completed. HMRC published their People and Equality Impact Assessments (PEIA) on GOV.UK on 17 July 2018. The PEIA sets out the action HMRC are taking to mitigate potential impacts of the Locations Programme, which includes additional support being put in place for employees. HMRC are currently undertaking the annual refresh of the document and will publish it when HMRC have been able to consider all necessary factors. In 2019, the annual update was published on GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/people-and-equality-impact-assessment-for-hmrcs-locations-programme.

Revenue and Customs: Staff

Chris Stephens: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the level of staff throughout HMRC; and whether he plans to recruit additional staff to HMRC as a result of his summer financial statement.

Jesse Norman: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) have a core role in supporting the Government’s fiscal and economic objectives. The Government ensures that HMRC are sufficiently resourced to deliver commitments made. As and when HMRC are asked to deliver new priorities, HMRC provide advice to ministers on the resourcing implications.

Eat Out to Help Out Scheme: Fraud

Chris Stephens: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential for fraudulent claims in relation to the Eat out, help out programme; and if he will make a statement.

Jesse Norman: The Government expects the vast majority of organisations to do the right thing, but it is recognised that within any scheme there is potential for fraud. HMRC have carried out a risk assessment of the scheme, which includes reviewing the potential for fraudulent claims. HMRC reserve the right to follow up on claims and take whatever action is necessary if people abuse the Eat Out to Help Out Scheme (EOHOS). In line with the other payment-out regimes they administer, HMRC will undertake pre-payment authentication and risking in order to identify and block fraudulent EOHOS claims, and will carry out proportionate risk-based, post-payment compliance checks. Fraud and abuse of the scheme can be reported through HMRC’s online tax evasion reporting form, details of which can be found on GOV.UK. All reports received by HMRC are subject to review and the appropriate and necessary actions are taken in response to the reports.

Self-employment Income Support Scheme: Maternity Leave

Karin Smyth: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 29 June 2020 to Question 64246 on Self-employment Income Support Scheme: Maternity Leave, whether self-employed women who took maternity leave during the last three years will be entitled to the same amount under the Self Employed Income Support Scheme as they would had they not taken maternity leave during that period.

Jesse Norman: The Government has amended the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) eligibility conditions to support newly self-employed parents. This is an amendment to bring these individuals into eligibility for the scheme. The grant for the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme is calculated using an average of the self-employed individual’s trading profits and has been designed to even out fluctuations in earnings which self-employed people may experience for any number of reasons.

Companies: Finance

Owen Thompson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to enable the provision of financial support equivalent to dividends income for (a) sole directors and (b) sole employees of Limited Companies.

Jesse Norman: I refer the Honourable Member to the written answer to Parliamentary Question 54215 on 9 June 2020: https://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2020-06-03/54215/

Eat Out to Help Out Scheme

Ben Everitt: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether eat in food business that are restricted to providing take away services due to covid-19 social distancing guidance are eligible for the Eat Out to Help Out scheme.

Jesse Norman: Eat Out to Help Out is designed to encourage people to return to eating out to support restaurants, pub, cafes and other dine-in establishments, which have been severely affected by COVID-19 due to closures and the impact of social distancing. In doing so, it will help support 1.8 million jobs disproportionately occupied by young, female, part-time workers, in the bottom half of incomes. Hot takeaway food and drinks will benefit from the temporary VAT reduced rate for hospitality from 15 July 2020 to 12 January 2021.

Digital Technology: Taxation

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the effect of the US suspending talks on a global tech tax framework on the Government's plans for a digital services tax.

Jesse Norman: The Government has been at the forefront of efforts to secure a global digital tax solution for many years. The Government remains fully engaged in discussions at the OECD, alongside international partners, including the US. The Digital Services Tax, which commenced from 1 April 2020, is a temporary measure and will be removed once an appropriate global solution is in place.

UK Trade with EU

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to The Border with the European Union: Importing and Exporting Goods, published on 13 July 2020, what comparative assessment assessment he has made of the current number of customs intermediaries and the expected number that will be in place by January 2021.

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to page 12 of The Border with the European Union: Importing and Exporting Goods, published on 13 July 2020, what estimate he has made of the number of what estimate he has made of the number of businesses currently using a customs intermediary to help them comply with their obligations.

Jesse Norman: The vast majority of the UK’s rest of world traders use an agent or intermediary to comply with customs formalities and manage their logistics and transport needs. Based on this, the Government expects that intermediaries will play an essential role as the majority of UK businesses trading with the EU will want to use their services to facilitate the import/export process. HMRC do not employ customs agents/customs intermediaries directly. The UK has a well-established industry of customs intermediaries which serve British businesses trading outside the EU. The sector is varied and made up of a number of different business models including specific customs brokers, freight forwarders and fast parcel operators, all of which will require varied numbers of staff. HMG has recently announced an additional £50m of grant scheme support for the sector to increase capacity, in addition to the £34m of support currently available.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Dance: Coronavirus

Fleur Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether dance studios can reopen for educational activities for school children if they adhere to the same covid-19 social distancing measures as schools.

Caroline Dinenage: A dance school (or other sport activity for children) which operates for fewer than 18 hours per week would generally be considered to be an out-of-school setting. As the Prime Minister confirmed in his announcement on 23 June, providers who run community activities, holiday clubs, after-school clubs, tuition and other out-of-school provision for children can operate over the summer holiday, with safety measures in place. Providers of these settings have been able to open since 4 July, provided that they follow the protective measures set out by government. However, providers should check the latest government guidelines on which businesses and venues can open and for which purposes as some premises may only be able to open for certain limited purposes. Protective measures guidance for community activities, holiday clubs, after-school clubs, tuition and other out-of-school provision can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/protective-measures-for-holiday-or-after-school-clubs-and-other-out-of-school-settings-for-children-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak. Providers who offer indoor sports activities for children should refer to the guidance for Keeping workers / volunteers and customers safe during COVID-19 for providers of grassroots sports and gym / leisure facilities. As announced on the 9 July, indoor gyms, sports courts and fitness and dance studios will be able to reopen from 25 July. They cannot be used for holiday clubs and activities for children until that point. Sports activities that would typically take place in a gym, sports venue, or a fitness or dancing studio are permitted to take place in any venue legally able to open, such as an indoor community facility, subject to DfE guidance on protective measures being followed.

Science: Coronavirus

Thangam Debbonaire: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of allocating additional financial support to the (a) We, The Curious centre in Bristol and (b) other science education centres to mitigate the financial effects of the covid-19 lockdown.

Nigel Huddleston: We recognise that these are extremely difficult conditions for those science education centres like We, The Curious, which also operate as visitor attractions. These organisations educate and entertain visitors of all ages on what science is. We do not have any plans to make an assessment of the merits of allocating additional support to the We, The Curious centre, or to other science education centres. Visitor attractions will benefit from the reduced rate of VAT which the Government will temporarily apply to attractions, accommodation and hospitality from 15 July 2020-12 January 2021. In addition, the Department for Education is funding a range of science institutions to support high-quality science education. This includes funding STEM Learning to deliver high quality CPD for teachers of science through the national network of 33 Science Learning Partnerships. STEM Learning also deliver Project Enthuse, which provides DfE-funded bursaries for teachers to attend CPD classes. The Department for Education also funds the Institute of Physics to run the Stimulating Physics Network to provide support to schools to improve progression to physics A level, particularly by girls. The DfE has been working with its providers to agree how to modify their science education programmes in light of the current situation. This has involved ensuring all activity prioritises the safety of staff, teachers and pupils, while continuing to support schools and teachers where possible. Businesses and workers in the science education centre sector can also access the Government’s comprehensive economic support package. This includes the extended Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, the Bounce Back Loan scheme, VAT payment deferrals for firms and £330bn worth of government backed and guaranteed loans to support businesses.

Bowling: Coronavirus

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what plans the Government has to allow the re-opening of tenpin bowling centres as covid-19 lockdown restrictions are eased.

Nigel Huddleston: Physical activity facilities play a crucial role in supporting adults and children to be active. From 1 August, we will reopen bowling alleys. The Government is committed to reopening leisure facilities and visitor attractions, including bowling alleys, as soon as it is safe to do so. The Sport Working Group and the Visitor Economy Working Group both feed into the Cultural Renewal Taskforce, and ensure strong sector and expert support for the co-development of guidance. This will help ten pin bowling alleys become Covid-19 Secure and re-open as early as possible. As with all aspects of the Government’s response to Covid-19, our decisions will continue to be based on scientific evidence and public health assessments.

Broadband: Rural Areas

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his Department has taken to promote the £200 million available in vouchers to SMEs under the Rural Gigabit Connectivity Programme.

Matt Warman: The scheme is primarily supplier led. We have provided generic marketing materials for suppliers to use but they in turn have run significant marketing campaigns and continue to actively promote the scheme. Building Digital UK (BDUK) also works closely with local authorities and the devolved administrations across the UK to promote rural vouchers with SMEs and residents in their respective geographies. BDUK has provided a toolkit of marketing materials to local authorities to help them promote the scheme: leaflets, pull-up banners, template releases, draft letters, social media images for posts, and case studies. They are also provided with monthly progress reports on the (now closed) Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme, but this reporting continues for the Rural Gigabit Voucher Scheme. These allow local authorities to be kept abreast of progress, and also allow them to request data to follow up on their own case studies. The rural voucher scheme has also been promoted through other government department networks via DEFRA, MHCLG and BEIS. We have also done demand stimulation work with Federation of Small Businesses, the Institute of Directors and discussed with HMRC the possibility of putting some marketing materials in with business tax reminders. The scheme has been further promoted through four top-up voucher schemes in Wales, Kent, West Sussex and Borderlands, where the announcement has generated media and online coverage along with targeted communications through to parish councils and rural community groups. We are in discussion with a number of (c.24) local authorities about launching similar top-up schemes. Finally, a pilot promotional campaign, which has been delayed due to COVID-19, is about to go live in three areas of the UK to test whether aggregated community demand can be met by suppliers. This would give us a consumer led proposition to sit alongside the supplier led approach. Over the past two years, across the two schemes, total voucher requests have been nearly 74,000 vouchers (including ineligible requests). Details of where vouchers have been requested/issued can be seen here: https://gigabitvoucher.culture.gov.uk/home/about-the-scheme/ On zooming in, each pin represents a postcode area with active vouchers. Clicking on a pin shows how many issued/connected vouchers are in that postcode area.

Broadband: Rural Areas

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, for what reason the Infrastructure Projects Authority has marked the (a) Local Full Fibre Networks and (b) Rural Gigabit Connectivity programmes with a red status.

Matt Warman: At the time of the IPA report, these programmes received a red rating because Building Digital UK (BDUK) was awaiting a budget decision to support a funding extension beyond March 2021. The red status, therefore, is a reflection of budget rather than delivery risk, and was a “point in time” snapshot. Subsequent to this rating, the budgets for both programmes have been approved and are both now rated Amber. This rating is a reflection of COVID-19 impacts to both programmes.

VJ Day

Chris Loder: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what plans he is putting in place to celebrate VJ day in August 2020.

Stuart Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what plans the Government has to commemorate VJ Day in 2020.

Matt Warman: On 15 July, the Government launched its website to help the public mark the 75th anniversary of Victory Over Japan Day on 15 August. Further information on how to get involved will be made available shortly at https://ve-vjday75.gov.uk/

Outdoor Recreation: Coronavirus

Thangam Debbonaire: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if he will produce guidance to support (a) festivals and (b) other outdoor events to reopen safely as covid-19 lockdown restrictions are eased.

Caroline Dinenage: The Events Industry Forum has published Covid-19 secure guidance on outdoor events which has been developed with input from DCMS. Event organisers should take account of government guidance on performing arts when organising outdoor events with live performances.We will continue to work with the festivals and the outdoor events sector to develop Covid-19 secure guidance that reflects the latest government regulation and policy.

Telecommunications

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to his oral statement of 14 July 2020 on UK Telecommunications, what plans he has to publish the clear and ambitious diversification strategy referred to in that statement.

Matt Warman: We are working at pace to develop and take forward our diversification strategy. In developing this strategy the Government is considering a wide range of actions in the short, medium and long-term that support diversification to protect incumbent suppliers, introduce new vendors and accelerate the development of new telecoms technologies. We will set out further detail later in the year.

Football: Sponsorship

Carolyn Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what plans he has to bring forward proposals to ban betting companies from being front of shirt football sponsors.

Carolyn Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what comparative assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of gambling advertising restrictions in (a) Spain and (b) other countries.

Carolyn Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the effect of gambling advertising on gambling behaviour.

Carolyn Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the effect of gambling advertising on children.

Nigel Huddleston: Gambling sponsorship of sports teams is already subject to a range of rules and safeguards. Like all gambling advertising, it must be socially responsible and must never be targeted at children or vulnerable people. The government has also made clear that sporting bodies and teams must consider their responsibilities to fans when entering commercial arrangements. The Football Association has strict rules about the size and placement of sponsor logos on all players’ shirts, and prohibits any reference to gambling or gambling operators on shirts for teams where all players are under 18 years old. It has taken action where the logos of gambling sponsors have been found to breach these rules. The gambling industry code for socially responsible advertising also requires that operators’ logos must not appear on any commercial merchandising which is designed for children (for instance in children’s sizes). In August 2019 the code was amended to include a whistle to whistle ban on broadcast advertising around live sport. The Government assessed the evidence on advertising in its Review of Gaming Machines and Social Responsibility Measures, the full response to which can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/consultation-on-proposals-for-changes-to-gaming-machines-and-social-responsibility-measures. Since then, in March this year, the charity GambleAware has published the final report of a major piece of research into the effect of gambling marketing and advertising on children, young and vulnerable people. That study found that while there was some indication that exposure to advertising was associated with an openness to gamble in the future amongst children and young people aged 11-24 who did not currently gamble, there were other factors that correlated more closely with current gambling behaviour amongst those groups, including peer and parental gambling. It did not suggest a causal link between exposure to gambling advertising and problem gambling in later life. The government is aware of recent restrictions introduced on gambling advertising in Spain and Italy and is continuing to monitor the effect of those restrictions. We have committed to review the Gambling Act 2005, and will announce further details in due course.

Broadband: Standards

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of amending the broadband universal service obligation to increase the requirements for latency sufficiency to a level that can deliver reliable video calling.

Matt Warman: The speed and technical requirements of the Universal Service Obligation (USO) were set on the advice of Ofcom based on the broadband requirements of a typical household, including both voice and video calls. The USO acts as a digital safety net for households unable to access a broadband service that meets these requirements at present. Section 72A of the Digital Economy Act 2017 includes a requirement for the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport to give a direction to Ofcom to review the broadband USO when at least 75% of premises in the UK subscribe to a broadband service that provides a download speed of at least

Telecommunications

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to his oral statement of 14 July 2020 on UK Telecommunications, who will have oversight of removal of Huawei from the UK 5G network; which Minister will have responsibility for that oversight; and if he will establish a national taskforce to ensure the effective removal of Huawei.

Matt Warman: The Government’s Telecoms Security Bill will ensure we have the powers we need to drive up security standards and control the presence of High Risk Vendors. The Bill will go beyond individual companies, and will enshrine in law one of the strongest regimes for telecoms security in the world. The Secretary of State will have oversight of the removal of Huawei from the UK 5G network, working alongside Ofcom, who will be asked to provide the Secretary of State with factual reports on operators’ use of Huawei products. The Secretary of State will take forward enforcement action where necessary to ensure controls in relation to Huawei are adhered to. As it relates to telecommunications infrastructure, responsibility would fall to the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.

Telecommunications

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to with reference to his oral statement of 14 July 2020 on UK Telecommunications, Official Report, column 678, what assessment he has made of the effect on the UK (a) economy and (b) manufacturing industry of US sanctions on Huawei.

Matt Warman: The Secretary of State set out in his statement of 14 July on ‘UK Telecommunications’ that removing Huawei equipment from the UK’s 5G networks could cost up to £2 billion to industry and delay rollout of 5G by 2-3 years. This figure is an estimate of the additional costs to operators of removing Huawei equipment from their 5G networks. These costs will vary across the different mobile operators. The process for complying with the Government’s decision will include commercial decisions that are for the mobile operators to make. The security and resilience of 5G rollout is not just in the national security interests of the UK. The UK’s economic and future prosperity interests would be undermined if the networks were judged to be insecure, their usage and economic value would be reduced.

Arts and Cultural Heritage: Coronavirus

Sajid Javid: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, on what date his Department plans to open applications for grants and loans as part of the Government's £1.57 billion support package for arts, cultural and heritage institutions.

Caroline Dinenage: On 5 July, the government announced a major £1.57 billion support package for key cultural organisations to help them through the coronavirus pandemic. This funding will provide targeted support to organisations across a range of sectors, including performing arts and theatres, museums and galleries, heritage sites, live music venues and independent cinema. Further detailed guidance, including eligibility and application processes, will be published as soon as possible in July.

Concert Halls and Theatres: Coronavirus

Jeff Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions he has had with (a) theatres, (b) live music venues, (c) concert halls and (d) arenas on the average capacity that they require to make a profit as the covid-19 lockdown restrictions are eased.

Caroline Dinenage: As part of our continued engagement with our sectors, myself and my officials have spoken to many organisations in the arts and culture sectors directly, as well as with our arms-length bodies and sector representatives. Through this engagement we know that the capacity needed to make a profit varies not just between the sub-sectors, but also between individual organisations and on an even more granular level, depending on what those organisations programme. These considerations, as well as costs relating to staffing, fixed costs, maintenance, production costs, and loans, also impact upon the size of a possible finance gap an organisation may have when considering when and whether to reopen. We are committed to getting the performing arts sector fully back up and running as soon as it is safe to do so. It is a priority of my department to work with the arts and cultural sectors to address the challenges of reopening. We have released guidance to support the performing arts sector resume activity in line with the roadmap announced by the Secretary of State for Culture last month.

Mobile Phones: Standards

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what advice the National Cyber Security Centre gave to mobile network operators on precautionary steps for limiting network disruption after the imposition of sanctions on Huawei by the US Administration before his oral statement of 14 July 2020 on UK Telecommunications, Official Report, Official Report, column 678.

Matt Warman: In conducting their technical assessment the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) consulted with operators and the telecoms sector industry to understand their views of the impact of the US Foreign Direct Product Rule (FDPR) Sanctions of May 2020. This was accompanied with statements to all operators that reiterated the NCSC’s longstanding advice for ensuring network resilience by maintaining spare equipment throughout the lifetime of the network deployment and ensuring product components are kept up to date. With the announcement of the new sanctions, the NCSC also wrote to operators who use Huawei in the day-to-day management of their networks which outlined considerations that any prudent operator should have been taking into account in light of the escalating situation with the announcement of the US Sanctions.

Culture: Coronavirus

Tracy Brabin: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 14 July 2020 to Question 71842 on Culture: Coronavirus, if he will publish the further detailed guidance before the summer parliamentary recess.

Caroline Dinenage: Further guidance on applications to the £1.57 billion support package for key cultural organisations will be published by our partner organisations - Arts Council England, BFI, Historic England and the National Lottery Heritage Fund - later in July.

Telecommunications

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he had made of the effect on UK telecommunications networks of US sanctions on Huawei before his oral statement of 14 July 2020 on UK Telecommunications, Official Report, column 678.

Matt Warman: On 15 May, the United States Department of Commerce announced an extension of its sanctions against Huawei. It was clear that these were a very significant extension of the existing sanctions against Huawei.In response, the National Cyber Security Centre launched an immediate review of the potential consequences of those sanctions on the security and resilience of the UK’s telecommunications infrastructure.The position set out in the oral statement of 14 July 2020 takes full account of the consequences of the US sanctions against Huawei.

Pornography: Internet

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, on how many occasions the Government has received representations from people in other jurisdictions wanting to learn about the age verification model presented by Part 3 of the Digital Economy Act 2017 to date.

Caroline Dinenage: The government is committed to ensuring children are protected from accessing inappropriate content online. As we announced on 16 October last year, the government has decided that the policy objective of protecting children online from age inappropriate content can be best delivered through our wider online harms proposals. Our Online Harms proposals will deliver a higher level of protection for children and we expect companies to use a proportionate range of tools, including age assurance and age verification technologies, to prevent children accessing age-inappropriate content such as online pornography. This approach will achieve a more consistent and comprehensive approach to harmful content across different sites and go further than the Digital Economy Act’s focus on online pornography on commercial adult sites.We will publish a Full Government Response to the Online Harms White Paper consultation later this year. We will follow the full Government Response with legislation, which we are working on at pace, and will be introduced when parliamentary time allows.The British Board of Film Classification, while designated as the age verification regulator under the Digital Economy Act, commissioned research on children’s access to pornographic content online. The research, published in early 2020, explored young people’s interactions with, and attitudes towards, online pornography and age verification. We will continue to develop our evidence base on online harms ahead of the implementation of the new online harms regulatory framework.As a result of Covid-19 lockdown measures we expect more people, including children, to be spending more time online. Although it is too early to confidently analyse patterns from this period, there is universal concern about child online safety. We are working closely with technology companies, law enforcement and civil society to monitor trends, and to support users to understand and manage the risks and benefits of being online during this period.Ministers and officials have regular meetings and discussions with a wide range of stakeholders, including children’s charities, on a variety of issues. We engaged with a number of children’s charities on our proposals to protect children through the new online harms regulatory framework, as part of our wider public consultation on the Online Harms White Paper last year. Details of Ministerial meetings are published quarterly on the Gov.uk website.

Pornography: Internet

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether online pornography operators will fall within the requirement to provide a duty of care as proposed in the Online Harms White Paper Initial Consultation Response.

Caroline Dinenage: Our Online Harms proposals will go further than the Digital Economy Act’s focus on online pornography on commercial adult sites and provide a higher level of protection for children. Our new approach will include social media companies and all sites on which there is user-generated content, including major pornography sites.We published the Online Harms Initial Consultation Response in February this year. It was clear that the duty of care would ‘apply to companies that provide services or use functionality on their websites which facilitate the sharing of user generated content or user interactions’. Where pornography sites have such functionalities (including video and image sharing, commenting and live streaming) they will be subject to the duty of care. Our analysis indicates that where commercial pornography sites do not enable user-generated functionalities, they instead usually require payment, providing a deterrent for children from accessing them.

Toys and Games: Sales

Neil Coyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether the Government plans to include provisions to prevent the sale of unsafe toys by third party sellers on online marketplaces in the Online Harms Bill.

Caroline Dinenage: Unsafe toys pose an unacceptable risk to children. The law is clear: only safe products should be placed on the market. To tackle the sale of unsafe toys online effectively, regulation must be consistent, transparent and joined-up.The Office for Product Safety and Standards is in a unique position across Government to lead work tackling the sale of unsafe toys. However, their work must align with broader work on digital regulation, which DCMS leads. My officials engage closely with the Office for Product Safety and Standards on the issue of unsafe goods online.Policy development for the Online Harms Bill is ongoing, including on the scope of the new regulatory framework, to ensure that regulation is clear and proportionate, and that it does not duplicate existing government activity. We will be publishing the Full Government Response to the Online Harms White Paper Consultation later this year, before moving to legislation.